Best 55+ Community, Best Homecare, Best Independent Living, Best Alzheimer’s/Dementia Care
Charles E. Smith Life Communities has been providing housing, assisted living resources and plenty of educational and social opportunities to Jewish and non-Jewish seniors alike for nearly 115 years. Founded upon the values of tzedek (justice), chesed (kindness), kavod (respect) and hiddur (beautification), the communities offer independent and assisted options for seniors who may be seeking community or are no longer able to live on their own.
Since its founding in 1915 as the Hebrew Home for the Aged, the communities have grown exponentially: The organization once operated out of a single apartment building that housed 10 senior residents. In the years since, with the help of eponymous real estate developer Charles E. Smith, it’s grown to a 38-acre campus with six living options and servicing over 1,100 residents a year. The original Hebrew Home of Greater Washington is now the largest nursing home in Maryland.
“We’ve since grown to address the full range of living and health care services many older adults need as they age. … we’re able to support them with everything from short-term rehab stays to memory care,” explained Erica Heiney, Charles E. Smith Life Communities’ director of communications.
In addition to housing for seniors who are able to live independently, Charles E. Smith Life Communities also boasts offerings for seniors in need of caregivers or direct access to medical services, seniors with memory issues such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and seniors in need of rehabilitative care or therapy.
Because of the breadth of its offerings, Charles E. Smith Life Communities has won multiple awards this year, including Best 55+ Community, Best Homecare Services and Best Independent Living. Heiney added that while the communities are no stranger to awards, having recently won a prestigious Silver Quality Award from the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, they are grateful for the recognition from the D.C. and Montgomery County communities.
“These awards help encapsulate the full range of services we endeavor to provide older adults,” she said. “From independent living and skilled nursing to memory care and geriatric medical care, we want to be the provider of choice for older adults in the Greater Washington area.”
