Coatesville, once a booming steel town, hasn’t quite forged its way out of a slightly depressed economic state. Much of the community’s history is embedded in the facility itself: the brick building has gone from a Lukens Steel building to the 1950s Coatesville Hospital to its present incarnation as a dual independent and assisted living facility. A huge sycamore guards the entrance along with a circular garden of shrubs and flowers. Just inside is a grand room with floor-to-ceiling windows, Oriental carpets, oil paintings, and a grand piano. On our visit, soft music lulled residents otherwise lost in books. Also on this floor is a library complete with leather seating. Residents run the nearby gift shop.
Even the smallest resident rooms are spacious and have large windows. Residents tend to bring in their own furnishings—it seems to make the living quarters a point of pride. In fact, many residents invited us to view their place. Living rooms on each floor feature comfortable niches. The second floor activity room sports a country motif with three separate rooms hemming in the space; each is devoted to a particular activity: exercise, crafts and billiards. In the ground-floor dining room with an opulent rose-patterned interior, tables are set with linens and diners are served by a waitstaff. An adjacent dining room is more informal. The day’s main meal is lunch; supper is a lighter affair. A “theme” meal occurs monthly—the Chinese buffet is popular for its sweet and sour chicken, shrimp and veggie stir-fries, pepper steak and lo mein. The chef is proud of her gourmet kitchen, but also enjoys making simple outdoor meals like barbecues or picnics. The outdoor patio is partially covered and has lots of available seating. Residents and staff mingle at events regularly in warmer months. The patio borders a makeshift cooperative farm—residents tend to the veggies, while the local Boy Scout troop plants spring flowers.
A spirit of cooperation and community pervades the facility. The Angel Network matches longtime residents with newer ones and those just needing encouragement to join in activities. An annual dance takes place in the grand room. Weekly lunch outings are augmented by trips to nearby Lancaster, the Butterfly Museum and Springton Manor, an operational farm. Physical exercise like walking and stretching combined with cognitive activities such as games and puzzles run the gamut. Church services are offered as well. Since the assisted and independent living space is integrated, both populations interact daily. Furthermore, many of the residents are Coatesville natives—and they know the staffers from the outside community. Most staff members have been with the home for numerous years; some have even placed relatives here. We got the chance to meet the owner’s son, who, as his father ages, is taking over more of the Harrison family business, which they have run for twenty-two years. The familial air was evident from the beginning—even Bailey, the beagle of the younger Mr. Harrison, hasn’t managed to wear out his welcome as a frequent guest!
