Cardinal Ritter Senior Services Breaks Ground on Memory Care Expansion
$6.5 million development to be completed by December 2022
(St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 3, 2022) Cardinal Ritter Senior Services (CRSS) – South County’s largest independent and assisted living nonprofit community – recently broke ground on its new Mother of Perpetual Help (MOPH) memory care community expansion. The $6.5 million, nearly 20,000-square-foot development will feature two separated homelike neighborhoods of 13 residents each for a total of 26 residents.
The expansion project differs from more medically intense dementia care programs. Features include a natural environment with cutting-edge technology to help mitigate the effects of “sundowning,” a state of increased confusion and restlessness for those with dementia which begins or worsens as daylight starts to fade.
CRSS currently has three memory care communities that serve 66 senior adults. Located within the assisted living and skilled nursing communities, CRSS provides specialized care for seniors living with memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
Pictured from left to right are Shrewsbury Mayor Mike Travaglini, Catholic Charities of St. Louis president Theresa Ruzicka, Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, CRSS CEO Chris Baechle, CRSS Board of Directors President Joe Downs, and Shrewsbury Interim City Administrator/City Clerk Elliot Brown.
Founded in 1961, Cardinal Ritter Senior Services (CRSS) creates communities that promote the dignity of human life and reflect the spirit of Jesus Christ. The community’s nearly 7,000 seniors – with 72% of the 2,500 directly served lacking adequate resources – benefit from housing options including independent or assisted living, memory care, affordable apartments, and skilled nursing communities. In addition to its main Shrewsbury campus located at 7601 Watson Rd., the nonprofit has 10 affordable HUD total apartment communities throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan area and a robust social services department. For more information about CRSS, call (314) 961-8000 or visit their website.
