Goodwill Retirement Community

Goodwill Retirement Community sits a mile north of Grantsville, Maryland, up there on Dorsey Hotel Road, and it's been around since 1959, started by local Mennonite churches, and now they've got a mix of different living options for older folks, like an Independent Living Retirement Village with thirty cottages, some well-kept Assisted Living Apartments for people who still do a lot for themselves but want a hand when needed, and a Skilled Nursing Home that has a Secured Memory Care Unit called Memory Lane for folks with memory troubles. The community's certified as a Continuing Care Retirement Community, which just means that as people's needs change, they can move through different levels of care-so you can stay put even if you come to need more or less help as time goes on, and everyone pays just for the care and services they use, not more. The staff works hard to keep things clean and inviting, and families have recognized them for offering professional, compassionate care over the years, and they've grown to now have 108 beds in the skilled nursing part, which is called Goodwill Mennonite Home. Residents who are able to live on their own can lease a modern one- or two-bedroom residence for a lifetime, so there's a sense of stability, and they don't have to worry about mowing yards or fixing leaking faucets, which is nice as people get older. Folks in assisted living get 24-hour help and medication management, and the people who run the activities program even consult with a Certified Occupational Therapist to keep everyone as active and involved as they want. For those who need special attention because of Alzheimer's or other memory issues, the Memory Lane unit is kept secure for safety but also welcoming, and inside you'll find a routine built on care and understanding. Anita Funk directs some key programs, and there's also a Certified Nursing Assistant class right on site, which helps train students to get their CNA certification so they'll be ready to give basic care, and that brings in even more people invested in quality health care. The campus has had several upgrades and expansions across the years, and there are inviting courtyards and well-kept apartments, which make for a calm setting out among the rolling Maryland hills. Goodwill Retirement Community operates as a non-profit, and it's connected with organizations like LeadingAge and LifeSpan Network, so it stays in touch with broader developments in elder care. There's nothing real flashy here-just steady, capable care and a simple way to move through life as needs change, surrounded by people who pay attention to both comfort and dignity.