Wesley Homes: A Caring Community
Healthcare Spotlights
Written by Adam Swift   
Monday, 01 February 2010
Wesley Homes: A Caring Community
By staying true to its history and mission, this company offers a continuum of care for its residents and home health clients.
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Wesley Homes has never lost sight of the vision its founder, Dr. Stanley Logan, had when he founded the retirement community and health services nonprofit in 1944. From its beginning as a small retirement community for parishioners from the local Methodist church to the current day, the Des Moines, Wash.-based company is a well-respected organization providing the best services available for older adults.

“Dr. Logan saw the need for a retirement community when some of his parishioners came to him and said there was no place for seniors to retire in the area,” said Kevin Anderson, president and CEO. “He went to the annual conference of the Pacific Northwest United Methodist Church and said he would like to build a retirement home for a few of his friends.”

Wesley Homes: A Caring Community
Kevin Anderson, president and CEO
What began as a small retirement home for a few of Dr. Logan’s friends is a company that today includes two retirement communities offering a continuum of services from independent living to skilled nursing. In recent years, the company has added a home health care agency to its network of services. In addition to the original retirement community in Des Moines, there is a newer community, Wesley Homes Lea Hill, in Auburn, Wash.

As the company has grown, Anderson said its continued affiliation with the United Methodist Church has been advantageous. “The church connection keeps our focus on the ministry and mission of the organization,” he said. “Our focus is on care, community, and services. Yes, we have to have a healthy bottom line, but that is not our focal point.”

Another advantage Wesley Homes has as a nonprofit company is the ability to fundraise. “Fundraising has been and will continue to be huge for us,” Anderson said.

“One of the things we’re known for is quality care and services,” he said. “The other thing that is unique about us is the tremendous level of resident involvement we have at both our campuses.”

Both campuses offer a host of volunteer programs and resident councils. “There is a true feeling of family among the residents and the staff,” Anderson said.

At the Auburn community, the physical environment of the campus makes it seem more like a self-contained small town. The community includes a 25-yard swimming pool, movie theater, and several dining venues and lounges.

“It’s been a tremendous change in this region to have a campus that offers this many amenities,” Anderson said. “It has really created a sense of community that you don’t see elsewhere…except at our Des Moines campus.”

Having sparkling new amenities wouldn’t mean much if the company didn’t make it a priority to hire a quality staff. “Hiring the right people is tremendously important,” said Anderson. “We’re looking for individuals who have caring attitudes, because that’s where it all starts. Without question, our number one asset is our staff.”

When staff members are hired, they go through an orientation process to learn about the company’s culture, history, and growth plans. “We want the new employees to feel welcomed and part of the organization,” Anderson said. “I think it is important that both the staff and the residents believe in what we do.”

Renovation and expansion
In the next five years, Anderson said Wesley Homes wants to build one or two new retirement communities and make improvements to the existing Des Moines campus. “This campus is very well maintained, but there are challenges with the older buildings and offering what people want to see in the current market,” he said. “Even though we still have a high occupancy rate at the campus, we do have to plan for the future.”

The state of the economy does play a role in when the company will be able to move forward with its expansion plans. “We need to take a look at what the interest rates are going to look like and when people are going to be willing to sell their homes, which they have been reluctant to do this past year,” Anderson said.

When it comes to bringing new residents into the retirement communities, Anderson said the most effective method is through referrals from current residents. “Our best marketing strategy is to keep our customers happy,” he said. “We do a little bit of advertising, but for the most part, resident referrals drive our marketing effort.”

In 2003, Wesley Homes added a private pay home health care service, and in 2007, it purchased a company with a certificate of need from the state of Washington allowing it to accept Medicare and Medicaid patients into the homecare side of the business.

“Some people see home care as direct competition to our campuses, but there are people who want to stay in their homes and receive the kind of care we can provide,” Anderson said. “We’re providing services to people in the most independent setting we can within our community.”

An eye to the past
Since Wesley Homes was founded in 1944, there have been only seven company presidents. “It’s a very unique situation to have such longevity with the staff,” said Anderson. “When you look at the average length of stay for an administrator, it’s usually two or three years. I’ve been here for just over 10 years now, and I hope to retire here.”

As the company looks toward the future, Anderson said it is just as important to keep an eye to the past. “I have a master’s degree in church history, so I really understand how churches developed all these church homes across the country,” he said. “There is a tremendous benefit for us with this rich history because it tells us who we are, why we do what we do, and who we do it for.” 
 
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