Compassionate Care
The Little Sisters of the Poor provides the neediest elderly residents of Louisville a place to call home, regardless of race or religion. Their mission is to create a loving family environment for low-income individuals over the age of 65. As part of an international women’s Roman Catholic order, the Little Sisters of the Poor serve the elderly in 31 countries and have had a presence in Louisville for more than 100 years.
“Our founder is St. Jeanne Jugan who lived in Brittany, France, during the time right after the French Revolution. She was 47 years old when she realized her mission. She saw a poor, paralyzed, blind woman, took the woman to her home and put the woman in her own bed,” says Mother Mary Richard, Mother Superior.
From there, St. Jeanne Jugan’s work of providing needy elderly people with a home grew. She began to take in and house dozens of people who had no other resources. Little Sisters of the Poor communities began to expand across France and internationally. According to Mother Mary Richard, 40 years after providing the first woman with a home, 2,400 women had joined the Little Sisters of the Poor, and the congregation had homes in 10 countries.
The original location of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Louisville was on 10th Street. It opened in 1869 and was one of the first homes established in the United States. It had to be closed in 1977 due to an inability to meet safety codes, and the residents were moved to homes in other states. However, it was missed by the community, and a capital campaign enabled the present-day St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged to open at 15 Audubon Plaza Drive in 1991.
The home offers four levels of care. Day services are provided for needy elderly who live independently outside the home. Currently, there are 27 individuals residing in the home’s independent living apartments. Personal care is for residents of the home who desire minimal assistance, and nursing care is for those who need complete assistance with daily needs.
“On a typical day, residents get up when they want to; we are person-centered,” Mother Richard says. There are physical, occupational and speech therapies plus activity programs. Daily Mass is at 11 a.m. Our main meal of the day is at noon, and residents can eat in the dining room or are served in their room. We have bingo three times a week and a porch to sit out on in nice weather. Supper is at 5:45 p.m. For some with dementia, dusk can be a difficult time, so we have games from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.”
“When a resident enters the home, what matters most is their need. They move from personal care to nursing as needed. The apartment people come over for meals and all events. They get to know the staff and residents so there is a smooth and less stressful transition when they move into the home. Sisters stay with a dying person and sit praying with them, no matter what religion they are. You can see the comfort on their face when God takes them home,” says Tina Contreras, development director.
If someone is interested in residing at St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged, they can call or come in and set up a meeting with the social service director. After filling out primary paperwork, it is determined whether they qualify. If not, help is given to find another place for the individual to pursue. To fund the home, the sisters follow the tradition of begging, asking the community to support the elderly, initiated by St. Jeanne Jugan.
“Donations and grants meet 49% of operating costs. We have a begging sister who asks businesses for support. It is broken down; for instance, we have a business for supplying flour and another for supplying vegetables,” Mother Richard says.
Several fundraising events are held during the year. The money raised is directly applied to the cost of running the home. The annual Turtle Derby, held in the spring, is a festival that is extremely popular with the surrounding neighborhood and the residents. It features a chicken dinner, booths, crafts, games and turtle wheel races. Each year, Woodhaven Country Club hosts a golf scramble, which includes a silent auction plus dinner and cocktails. This fall, Rock’n & Roll’n with the Little Sisters, a fun night with music and barbecue, was held at Holy Family Catholic Church.
Volunteers are always needed and welcomed, especially young people. Before starting, individuals are interviewed by the sister in charge of volunteerism to see where their interests lie. Especially needed are drivers to take residents to appointments.
“I have been working here for 13 years, and I am so impressed with the Little Sisters of the Poor. They run the home, not laypeople. The Little Sisters live on the second floor, and each area and department is headed by one of them. They are involved every day and assigned different jobs. They don’t retire from working until God calls them home. There is no ego, and their humility has taken my heart,” Contreras says.
“Just like St. Jeanne Jugan, we pray to St. Joseph that our residents are cared for. We can see how God blesses this work. I have such gratitude when I open the mail and see sacrificing people contribute big amounts or as small as a $5 bill. We will continue to take care of our brothers and sisters,” Mother Richard says.
Little Sisters of the Poor is located at 15 Audubon Plaza Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40217. The phone number is 502-636-2300. For more information and to sign up for their e-newsletter, visit littlesistersofthepoorlouisville.org.
For information on upcoming events, follow them on Facebook at Friends of Little Sisters of the Poor in Louisville, Kentucky.
