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Pines of Sarasota:

Preserving the Region’s Richest Cultural Heritage

By Lalaena Gonzalez-Figueroa

Since its establishment in 1948, Pines of Sarasota has become a haven for individuals seeking quality elder care for themselves or their loved ones. The organization is one driven by compassion and concern, and seeks to consistently raise the bar on its services while providing outreach and education to those in need.

Pines of Sarasota offers a comprehensive variety of living arrangements, from assisted living for more independent adults, to supervised care for individuals living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. The community celebrates life with a full calendar of activities and events, and with a range of programs and services that include a state-licensed, on-site preschool and child care facility. The diversity facilitates a ripe environment, improves staff and personnel retention, and encourages residents to enjoy fruitful and meaningful lives.

Visitors and residents who stroll through the spacious campus at Pines of Sarasota notice immediately that this isn’t a staid “nursing home.” Home to nearly 300 residents, Pines of Sarasota is bustling with life. Residents and staff members tend to a vibrant butterfly garden; balloon volleyball and yoga classes encourage physical fitness at every level, and strains of classical and big band music contribute to a lively atmosphere. “One of our ongoing objectives is to provide our residents with opportunities to be engaged and involved in our community,” notes Pines President and CEO John Overton. “Beyond exceptional physical quality of care, we are also facilitating purposeful lives.”

Understanding the unique needs of individuals living with dementia or Alzheimer’s is an ongoing challenge, and Pines of Sarasota is committed to the cause. The Pines Education Institute is a regional training center that provides cutting-edge education, training and internship for medical professionals and personnel as well as caregivers. The Institute’s mission is to share knowledge with those in need; its lecture and training DVDs have become invaluable resources for individuals around the world. Also on site is an outpatient rehabilitation center that offers services to Pines of Sarasota residents as well as independent patients.

The not-for-profit organization adheres to its founding philosophy that stories, not numbers, are its greatest measure of success. The ongoing care of residents is so important that Pines promises to provide for its residents even if they have exhausted their financial resources. Fulfilling this lofty commitment requires significant support; The Pines of Sarasota Foundation has become an invaluable lifeline to this effort.

The son of a resident, who was underwriting the cost of his mother’s care in assisted living, lost his job. He was frantic with worry as to what would happen to his mother since he could no longer afford to pay. His relief was palatable when Pines reassured him that his mother would have a home for life with or without financial resources. At Pines, rich or poor the care is excellent.

Foundation President, Estelle Crawford, notes that the Foundation was created to support the programmatic, capital and endowment needs of Pines. “The combination of an ever growing elderly populations coupled with ever decreasing government reimbursement begs the question….what happens to the growing number of seniors who need assistance but cannot afford ever increasing healthcare costs?” she shares.

Just as Sarasota is ground zero for pursuing innovations in elder living, Pines is a pioneer in delivering multiple levels of high quality senior care for seniors who need assistance-even when they cannot afford it. Community support via the Foundation is an integral component in the long term success of Pines.
  

“It’s important to us as a community to contribute to the well-being of our community members,” Crawford adds. The Foundation helps offset the cost of providing upwards of 1,000 meals a day, housekeeping and laundry, and non-medical modalities including massage therapy and off-campus excursions. Also critical to the longevity of Pines of Sarasota – and the safety and well-being of its residents and employees- is routine maintenance throughout the ample campus.

In 2011, The Pines of Sarasota Foundation raised and granted over $1 million to Pines of Sarasota, and the group looks forward to continuing to secure monies and resources for the organization.

It is inevitable; time eventually lays its claims on every one of us. At Pines of Sarasota, each day is an opportunity to celebrate life, to embrace the unique gifts and histories of every resident. With the generosity and support of community members and the dedicated efforts of The Pines of Sarasota Foundation, organizations like Pines of Sarasota will continue to preserve and cherish the threads that have helped weave a local tapestry, one whose complex legacy of beauty will endure for generations to come.

Pines of Sarasota
1501 North Orange Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 955-6293
www.pinesofsarasota.org

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