Rydal Park, a Jenkintown retirement community, was recently featured in the following article: new york times “No religion? No problem in these faith-based retirement communities.”
This article focuses on faith-based continuing care communities in the United States, whose populations reflect the country’s rise in spirituality and decline in religiosity.
“They have to walk this line because they don’t want to limit the in-migration population,” said Tween, who has been advising seniors for 17 years. “To maintain growth, they are focusing more on philosophy than religion.”
HumanGood, the nonprofit that operates Rydal Park, was founded by Baptists and Presbyterians in the 1950s and still identifies as faith-based. times Said. Sharelle Shippen, director of spirituality, said Human Good’s community is not necessarily Christian.
“Our view of spiritual service has evolved,” she said.
Excerpt from article:
At Rydal Park, the company’s campus in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, the majority of residents are Jewish. A rabbi is always present for the Friday night Sabbath, and a priest is also present for Sunday Catholic Mass. At the Human Good Campus in California, Wiccan services were held at the request of residents. And the spiritual needs of agnostic and atheist residents, which exist in all Human Good Continuing Care communities, are not ignored. “If spirituality is a nature walk for you, we will walk with you,” Ms. Shippen said.
Choosing not to participate in HumanGood’s spirituality program is also an option. “You can join or opt out,” Shippen said. As with Shell Point and Enso, there is still a lot of work to be done.
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Photo: Rydal Park
