Staff members at The Mary J. Drexel Home wear many hats, providing individualized attention to residents, yet helping out wherever needed. The facility is nestled in a lovely mansion. When we visited, we found residents relaxing between activities, some cradled on cozy couches, enjoying a midday nap, while others watched TV or traversed the halls with the aid of walkers. With an average resident age of ninety, this facility does its best to encourage aging in place, and is largely successful, thanks to a sister skilled nursing facility of the same name that shares the campus. Barring medical necessity, assisted living residents, including those with dementia, can safely call their space home without fear of being uprooted.
The estate sits on eleven verdant acres, along with a privately rented cottage and a charming barn. Residents are housed on one floor of the original three-story mansion and in a series of connected low-rise buildings. A covered deck off the main lobby contains padded furniture and flower boxes. Residents chat here over hot dogs and hamburgers when the weather lends itself to cooking outdoors. Open and fenced-in land allows all residents, even those who may wander, to enjoy the outdoors and possibly catch a glimpse of roaming deer.
A marble floor graces the lobby, filled with antique furniture. From the living room, residents can enter a quiet chapel or step out onto the balcony and admire the landscaping. Elegant common areas include a library, sitting room and solarium with caged birds, couches, a piano and a big-screen TV. The formal dining room glows with natural light. Residents eat at linen-covered dark wood tables, and dine buffet-style at breakfast.
Most residents bring their own furniture to the cozy rooms, often creating sitting areas with TVs. The bathrooms are communal. Current renovations, which are slated to take two years to complete, will include Columbia House, a second assisted living building with a capacity of forty-two. Three daily activities and three weekly nighttime activities, such as listening to music, singing and playing bingo, keep residents active and involved. One resident who is a hundred years old has lived in the facility since 1987! She fondly told us about her favorite meal and her adventures at The Mary J. Drexel Home.
