The German Ladies Society of Seattle originally founded German Retirement Home in 1925 on First Hill with eleven residents of German heritage. They became a non-profit corporation in 1937, providing quality care to elder citizens of all nationalities, and moved to their current location in 1977. German Retirement Home has a 12-member Board, all of German heritage. While part of the German Heritage Society, German Retirement Home is their own entity. The residents meet quarterly with the staff for the sharing of information and gathering suggestions for activities and continued improvement. A volunteer from the Long-Term Care (LTC) ombudsman program often visits weekly to share with the residents. 

Living at German Retirement Home gives you a good balance. Residents can enjoy the independence of their affordable private units as well as the opportunity to be part of a nurturing community. All residents live in private apartments and are offered a wide range of personal care services. Services include medication monitoring, showering and bathing assistance, dressing assistance, personal hygiene assistance, reminding, monthly weight and blood pressure monitoring, and 24-hour awake staff. Residents can be as active or relaxed as they want to be. They can chat with friends over coffee on the patio overlooking the duck pond and waterwheel, wander the garden paths, join in the full range of monthly activities, or walk to the grocery store, deli, bakery, bank, restaurants, and many more businesses. 

German Retirement Home’s mission is to provide quality housing and care to elderly residents through supportive services in a loving atmosphere of respect and dignity for each person. They strive to serve the community by accepting those with less income, having about a 60% Medicaid census. But it is the little “extras” that make them a special place to live. Residents can enjoy the aroma of barbecued hamburgers from the grill during one of the summer picnics, or a bouquet of flowers picked fresh from the garden. There is a section set aside for residents to garden, and they can take flower-arranging classes as one of the several monthly activities. The annual Pig Roast in the summer allows them time for fun, good food and a taste of some German culture with music and dancing. Living at German Retirement Community is like taking a walk in the park.

Fundraising is mostly by donation, and German Retirement Home relies on volunteers to help with activities throughout the year. Activities vary with the seasons and interests of residents, but popular offerings include computer classes, Tai’Chi, multi-church programs, van trips to the local swimming pool, birthday celebrations and bingo. With a family environment that promotes individualized services to residents’ needs, there is little difficulty with staff or resident retention. German Retirement Home’s monthly newsletter features both a resident and employee of the month. At a recent lunch, they had one employee that was recognized for 25 years of service as the dining room supervisor.

When asked what it means to be a nonprofit organization, Executive Director, John Frost said, “It means filling a need in the community that a for-profit is not inclined to do – service to the moderate and low-income. Any profit made goes back to the facility, allowing more resources to generate quality care.”

German Retirement Home is a member of WAHSA, a state association serving primarily not-for-profit organizations, dedicated to providing quality housing, health, community and related services to older persons. WAHSA is affiliated with the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA). When asked what it means to be a WAHSA member, John Frost stated, “We are aligned with a group of like-minded institutions facing the same challenges. We have the opportunity for peer contact, and to join with others in meeting the challenges we all have in common: regulatory, education, and products to make our businesses better.”