Turning a building loan into dignity and compassion for seniors

Entrance to Josephine Caring Community on a sunny day. A white building with a covered drive-up area surrounded by trees and shrubs. — Josephine Caring Community in Stanwood, Washington, has served older adults for more than 100 years

With the construction of a Memory Care Unit, Josephine Caring Community in Stanwood, Washington, has extended its ability to serve seniors with dignity and compassion. Expanding health services for older adults is something Josephine—an ELCA-affiliated ministry that is part of Lutheran Services in America—has been doing for more than 100 years.

“In 1907,” explains Terry Robertson, Josephine’s CEO, “John Hals, a fairly well-to-do farmer from Norway, also owned a mill—less than an hour north of Seattle—and realized his employees had nowhere to go when they got older. So, he set up a fund and a place to care for seniors with $10,000 and ten acres of land.”

On September 27, 1908, Josephine’s Old Peoples Home, named in honor of Hals’ wife, opened with 26 residents. Today, this legacy of care continues to grow.

Expanding to sustain its mission

Last year Josephine had 300 short-term admissions and served 240 seniors across a 131-bed nursing home, 21 long-term care rooms, and 57 assisted-living rooms. It also provides home care and home health care to surrounding communities.

Josephine is one of the largest nursing homes in Washington State and also operates as one of the largest Medicaid programs in the region, caring for an average of 100 Medicaid patients in the nursing home. However, sufficient funding for senior care from the state has not been available. For years, Josephine was dedicated to making up the difference through other means, but this wasn’t sustainable.

To address long-term sustainability, Josephine began developing Cascade Village at Smokey Point—a nonprofit, faith-based planned community in nearby Marysville, scheduled to open in 2027. The village will offer 63 one- and two-bedroom homes, including Villa-style residences. Residents enjoy peace of mind, knowing that, should they ever need it, the all-inclusive healthcare services at Josephine, including assisted living, short-term rehab and skilled nursing, are available.

In all of this thoughtful planning, the only remaining gap in services was memory care. And working with MIF, they created a solution.

Meeting a critical care need—with MIF’s support Josephine transformed two wings of its nursing home into a secure, thoughtfully designed Memory Care Unit. Funding for this transformation was made possible through a loan from MIF.

With large open spaces and lots of light, the Memory Care Unit is specifically for seniors who need a locked memory care unit for their own safety, but not skilled nursing. The unit has two long hallways in the 21-apartment memory area that end in a secure day room perfect for socializing and activities.

“Memory care patients like to move, so we made sure the design of the unit included secure places for walking,” notes Robertson.

“MIF’s posture has always been that they are here to help us. It is not like going to a local or national bank with their terms and conditions. And the interest rate is better with MIF than we could have gotten somewhere else. We used the money we saved to care for more people who can’t care for themselves.”

Care that crosses generations

Josephine’s continuum of care spans generations—from sparking curiosity in daycare to learning in Montessori classrooms.

Josephine’s mission also includes care and education for children. In the 1980s, the community began offering daycare for staff, which later expanded to meet broader local needs.

Today, Josephine provides daycare, preschool and Montessori programs for early childhood. In addition to the daycare and preschool, Josephine reserves forty slots for the Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program (ECEAP)—Washington State’s version of the Head Start program—yet another example of Josephine’s service to the larger community. “One of the assets of the children’s program is the intergenerational benefit. Children grow up learning not to be afraid of age,” Roberston reflects.

Grounded in faith, guided by community need

John Hals’ original vision for Josephine remains at the heart of the ministry’s work. At the home’s opening in 1908, he addressed a crowd of more than 1,000 people and charged them to “care for others as God has provided for us.”

“We like our connection to the Lutheran community,” says Robertson. “Faith is important to many of our residents, and we are glad to be able to provide ecumenical care that is available to everyone.

“MIF helped us pay for a good idea. They are a friendly lender, and we are so happy with MIF,” notes Roberston. “Cradle to grave, we serve this community. Josephine is for patients, not profits.”

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