Morris Hall is located in Lawrenceville, and shares its 40-acre campus with St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center, a well-respected, not-for profit rehabilitation hospital, and Villa Vianney, a home for retired priests.
Morris Hall is a not-for-profit community. They focus on resident-centered care through their two wings: St. Mary’s Assisted Living and St. Joseph’s Skilled Nursing Center.
Morris Hall Administrator Ellen Petroski emphasizes that defining resident-centered care differs for every patient, and focuses on how each individual and their family defines quality of life. For some, the priority might be to walk, which might not be the safest activity but it is what gives their life meaning and quality.
Ellen says “we want to know our residents and their families as individuals, to find out what they feel is ‘quality of life.’ Our residents chose what gives their life quality within a relatively safe environment. We stress the safest possible way to get quality out of life, and not just quantity.”
St. Joseph’s Skilled Nursing Center is a five star nursing home, “the highest government Medicare rating. We have a wonderful reputation in the community because resident care is our first priority.”
St. Mary’s Assisted and Residential Living has 78 apartments. “At St. Mary’s our focus is on wellness versus illness; we use the wellness model. Our goal is to enable residents to live as independently as possible for as long as possible. We provide support as they need it to enable them to continue to be independent as long as possible.”
People who live there do not have to do their own housework, cooking or yard work, but can still keep their car and live as independently as they like.
Among the 78 apartments in St. Mary’s Assisted Living are 20 in the Grace Garden Memory Care Community. These are designed for people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia who require more support than what is available in regular Assisted Living. With the added supports, structured activities, and a higher staff ratio, they are able to participate in an active and meaningful community.
Since St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s share a building, residents can comfortably transition through a continuum of care from independent living to assisted living and then to nursing home living, as their health needs change. They will continue to receive excellent care.
Morris Hall, One Bishop’s Drive, Lawrenceville. 609-896-0006. Located on the corner of Route 206 and Lawrenceville-Pennington Road. www.morrishall.org. See ad, page 9.
