Priority Areas
As an independent, faith-based senior community that does not require a mandatory 6-figure upfront fee, Saint Simeon’s relies on the generosity of donors to sustain the excellence of care that Tulsans have come to love, expect and rely on. If you are grateful for the care, you or a loved one has received at Saint Simeon’s or have a passion for elder care and well-being and would like to support the Saint Simeon’s Foundation, we have a myriad of funding opportunities for your consideration.
Unrestricted Giving
Donations without restrictions provides Saint Simeon’s with the flexibility to direct your unrestricted gift to the area of greatest need and impact or to respond to time-sensitive funding needs that emerge unexpectedly. We are grateful for unrestricted gifts of any amount.
People
Resident Support
Senior living at Saint Simeon’s is about living fully, meaningfully and spiritually. Saint Simeon’s is dedicated to the mental, physical, social, spiritual and social well-being of our residents. We have life enrichment programming and activities that support the holistic wellness of our residents and help make the Saint Simeon’s community feel like a big family. Our resident support funding priorities are listed below.
Arts Programming - Saint Simeon’s currently has an art instructor deliver art classes once every week. With additional financial support, Saint Simeon’s would be able to increase the frequency of art classes available to residents.
Field Trips and Excursions - Saint Simeon’s currently organizes off-campus excursions a few times each year such as outings to the aquarium and Drillers. Additional funding would enable Saint Simeon’s to hire the additional staff needed to chaperone excursions and to fund the admission costs for our residents to attend.
Gardening and Outdoor Learning - Saint Simeon’s is nestled in the beautiful Osage Hills. Financial support in this priority would allow Saint Simeon’s to bring in biologists, horticulturists, and naturalists to work with our residents and to help them connect with nature.
Happy Hours and Socials - Social connections play a crucial role in maintaining the mental, emotional and social health and wellbeing of our residents. Support in this priority would allow us to augment programming and offer a wider array of options for social gatherings and community celebrations.
Health & Wellness - Eating well and staying physically active are essential to the overall health of our residents. Support in this priority would allow Saint Simeon’s to expand programming to increase the frequency of physical activities such as water aerobics, dancing, yoga, and resistance training. Regular exercise can help our residents maintain muscle mass, improve balance, and prevent falls.
Veterans Programming- Saint Simeon’s is currently home to 34 veterans. Support in this priority would allow Saint Simeon’s to design and curate veteran-focused life enrichment programs tailored to meet the specific needs of our veteran resident population and to honor their military service and sacrifice.
Pet Therapy- Our residents look forward to the therapy dog visits that take place at Saint Simeon’s twice each month. They enjoy petting, grooming and playing with the dogs. These interactions help improve their mood, reduce their anxiety, and improve their overall mental health and physical wellbeing. Support for this priority would allow Saint Simeon’s to increase the frequency of the pet therapy program from biweekly sessions to weekly sessions so that our residents can benefit from the companionship, affection and joy that dogs provide to our residents.
Spiritual Life and Healing - Spiritual life is important to the vast majority of our residents who purposely chose to resident at a faith-based senior community. They find peace, comfort, and purpose through the deep connection with God. Support in this priority would enable Saint Simeon’s to help residents with mobility issues attend service and to expand support group programming for residents and families experiencing difficulty with transitioning to senior living.
Music Programming - Music participation and appreciation contribute to the individual health of residents. For our residents with dementia and other cognitive conditions, music is an effective therapy for managing depression and anxiety. Music also plays an important role in community-building at Saint Simeon’s. Support for this priority would allow Saint Simeon’s to expand the music programming from appreciation to participation and community building. In addition to having musicians perform, Saint Simeon’s would be able to hire music educators to teach and to lead sing-a-longs.
Staff Support
Saint Simeon’s has the privilege of providing 24-hour care for 115 – 130 residents on a daily basis. It takes an army of people to care for our residents. This includes nurses, nurse aides, dieticians, therapists, life enrichment coordinators, housekeeping and food service providers. Our employees are the lifeblood of Saint Simeon’s. We believe that if you take care of your employees, your employees will take care of your residents. By helping us invest in our staff, you are helping us recruit and retain talented and skilled employees who model our values of commitment, compassion, patience, integrity and humility in their care, communications, and interactions with our residents.
Staff Education, Training, and Professional Development - Many of our employees are looking to enhance their skills and broaden their knowledge in order to become better care providers or advance their career at Saint Simeon’s. Some employees are working towards a degree while others are working towards certification or looking to stay current on best practices. Support for this priority allows Saint Simeon’s to invest in the professional growth of our employees and to help them achieve their career aspirations at Saint Simeon’s.
Christmas Employee Appreciation Fund - Our staff work hard throughout the year to deliver excellent care to our residents. Donations made to this priority will be evenly distributed to all employees in mid-December. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, past Christmas bonuses for each employee have been in the $500 - $600 range.
Employee Crisis Fund - Gifts made to this priority will be used to provide short-term financial assistance to employees experiencing severe financial need due to unexpected and unavoidable emergencies such as the death of a loved one, loss or damage of a home due to natural disaster, and medical emergency.
Endowed Positions - Endowed positions provide long-term financial resources and prestige to positions of leadership and impact. Endowed positions available for naming opportunities include the chaplain, chief nursing officer, director of life enrichment, and assistant directors of nursing for Memory, Assisted Living, Medical Resort, and Long-term Healthcare. If you are interested in endowing a position, please reach out to Lynn Starnes at lstarnes@saintsimeons.org or call 918-794-1963.
Saint Simeon’s is blessed to have a beautiful campus and incredible facilities. It’s a senior community like no other in Tulsa where residents can sit in the courtyard and admire the peacocks or watch the sun set over the stunning Tulsa skyline from the terrace. The facilities were constructed with a contiguous design to ensure seamless movement from private residences, communal spaces, and therapeutic outdoor areas, in a nature-rich environment. However, it takes a significant infusion of capital to maintain the facilities and grounds. Also, as consumer trends change and new therapeutic applications are developed, Saint Simeon’s must adapt and repurpose existing spaces to serve emerging needs. Philanthropic support earmarked for buildings, facilities, gardens and wildlife ensures that Saint Simeon’s will remain in excellent condition and the campus will continue to be a beautiful and tranquil refuge for current and future generations of residents.
Places
Flora and Fauna - Support for this priority will ensure that Saint Simeon’s will have the necessary funds to maintain the well-kept grounds and luscious gardens and to support the peacocks and koi, who also call Saint Simeon’s home. This fund will also support the creation of new outdoor spaces such as a Japanese garden, a cut flower garden, and meditation garden.
Holiday Décor - Some of our residents are place bound due to mobility or cognitive conditions. They experience and enjoy the majority of the holidays such as Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving at Saint Simeon’s. Support for this priority will enable Saint Simeon’s to purchase the décor and lighting needed to make the campus fun and festive to reflect the seasonal holiday.
Learning and Calming Spaces - Learning and calming spaces can help with cognitive stimulation and function. Saint Simeon’s would like to create two new spaces for our residents: a multi-sensory room and an outdoor classroom. A multi-sensory room would serve residents living with dementia or Alzheimer’s. The design of a multi-sensory room facilitates the stimulation of senses as residents are encouraged to explore light, sound, scent, and touch, which can help reduce anxiety, boost mood, and improve cognitive function. An outdoor classroom would support the integration of nature into learning. Gardening classes, educational zoological and botanical classes, and outdoor art activities could be held in this outdoor space.
Renovation and Capital Maintenance Fund - The facilities at Saint Simeon’s require essential renovations and maintenance that are extremely costly. Renovation projects include the renovation of the 7 cottages, ice cream parlor, bistro, and shower facilities in Medical Resort. Capital maintenance projects include a new HVAC system, repairs on the roof, and upgrading our camera security system across campus. Support for this priority will help ensure that the facilities at Saint Simeon’s remain in proper working order for current and future residents to enjoy.
Named Spaces and Centers - Saint Simeon’s has been blessed over the years to receive a multitude of naming gifts for spaces throughout the campus. We have a few spaces available for naming opportunities and Memory Care Center, Long-term Heath Care Center, and Medical Resort are available for naming. If you are interested in exploring naming opportunities, please contact Lynn Starnes at lstarnes@saintsimeons.org.
Prosperity
For over 65 years, Saint Simeon’s has been at the forefront of senior care for the Tulsa community. Saint Simeon’s was the first institution in Tulsa to provide residential care for the aged. As demand increased and the senior care industry evolved, Saint Simeon’s modified our service lines to meet changing consumer trends. In 1998, we opened our Memory Care Center to meet the growing demand for senior care for residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s. In 2009, the Dotson Assisted Living Center opened its doors. In 2022, Saint Simeon’s launched our Medical Resort service line to meet the growing demand for short-term skilled nursing. Saint Simeon’s has been able to prosper and flourish for over 6 decades because of our resident-focused approach to care, our commitment to long-term financial health, our ability to recognize an unmet need in senior care and fill that need, and our courage to innovate and embrace new opportunities for revenue growth.
Wound Care Center - Saint Simeon’s has a new and exciting opportunity to broaden our portfolio of care services, to grow revenue, and to repurpose and monetize an existing underutilized resident space. Saint Simeon’s would like to add to our portfolio of services a 5th service line: a Wound Care Center. The market for wound care is experiencing explosive growth, driven by the rising incidence of chronic wounds, diabetic foot ulcers, and pressure injuries such as bed sores. The Wound Care Center would be a specialized residential unit equipped with advanced wound care technologies and equipment and staffed by certified would care specialists. The Wound Care Center would offer 24-hour comprehensive wound care services to treat, manage and monitor various types of high acuity wounds. Similar to skilled nursing residents, Wound Care residents would reside at Saint Simeon’s on a short-term basis until they achieve optimal healing outcomes for their wounds and averted or mitigate the potential for medical complications. Support for this funding priority would provide Saint Simeon’s with the funds to repurpose a 7-room pod within the Memory Care Center into the Wound Care Center, to construct a new resident entrance, to purchase equipment and technology to support care, and to hire inaugural staff to care for patients. Saint Simeon’s anticipates that the Wound Care Center will be cash flow positive within year of launch.
Veterans Services Expansion - Saint Simeon’s boast a healthy partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA recently renewed its contract with Saint Simeon’s for an additional 3 year-period. At present, VA-sponsored residents make up nearly 30% of Saint Simeon’s resident population. Saint Simeon’s has the opportunity to expand our partnership with the VA through its VA Medical Foster Home Program. Funding to support this priority would allow Saint Simeon’s to conduct a feasibility study to assess the long-term financial viability of expanding VA services at Saint Simeon’s.
Innovation Fund- The senior care industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by technological advancements and a growing trend to age in place. Telehealth, wearable health monitors, smart home devices, delivery services and transportation services can help seniors live independently in their home for longer periods of time. Saint Simeon’s has always been at the forefront of senior care innovation. Funding for this priority would allow Saint Simeon’s to assess new opportunities for revenue growth and develop new service lines and products.
