Who are the Alexian Brothers?
The Congregation of Alexian Brothers is an 800-year-old Catholic lay organization, all male, that has as its mission “caring for the sick, the poor and the dying and promoting the physical, mental, spiritual and social health and well-being of all individuals we serve.” In Tennessee, they focus on care for seniors, although in other states they have hospices for AIDS patients, medical facilities for women and children, or mental health facilities, managed through the Alexian Brothers Health System. In 2012, the Alexian Brothers Health System merged with St. Louis-based Ascension Health, the largest nonprofit and Catholic health system in the U.S. In Chattanooga, Alexian Brothers operates PACE; Alexian Village, a campus on Signal Mountain that offers independent living, assisted living and rehabilitation; the Alexian Grove apartments for independent living; and the Alexian Brothers Valley Residence for patients with dementia.
The Boomer Bubble
Between 2012 and 2050, the population of the U.S. is projected to grow from 314 million to 400 million, a rise of some 27 percent.The percentage of residents 65 years old or older will rise to 20 percent in 2050, compared to 13 percent in 2012 and only 9.8 percent in 1970.Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Debbie Dawson didn’t know how she was going to care for her mother, who has dementia, after the older woman had a debilitating stroke several years ago.
“I am the only family member able to care for her,” said Dawson, who teaches school in Sequatchie County. She and her husband both work, and their only alternative seemed to be to put Debbie’s mom in a nursing home.
But then she heard about PACE, an innovative form of senior care offered in Chattanooga by the Alexian Brothers, a Catholic organization that in Tennessee specializes in senior care.