The Rev. David Steinle loves his independent living and the dining room service at The Summit of Bettendorf – A Wellspire Community.
“The dining room here is just like being in a restaurant,” said the Rev. Steinle, age 71, a retired Catholic priest and Summit resident since November. “The independent living here is very independent. … You don’t have to be here (in the dining room) at noon to get a meal.”
The Rev. Steinle was just one of many praising The Summit on Tuesday afternoon, May 17, during an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new senior living facility is located at 4699 53rd St., Bettendorf.
Hundreds of people attended the event to tour The Summit, talk with residents and staff, have refreshments and officially welcome the senior living facility to the community.
The Summit, which opened for residents last fall, offers residents age 55 and older with different levels of care, including independent and assisted living memory care, short-term rehabilitation and long-term nursing care. It has 105 rooms for independent living; 17 rooms for assisted living; 16 for memory support; 20 for private, short-term rehab; and 20 for private, long-term rehab.
Some of the amenities include a wellness center, salon and barber shop, a rooftop patio, library, chapel, general store, onsite banking and guest room.
“Isn’t this amazing? I’ve had two residents already stop me to tell me how much they love it here,” Doug Cropper, president and CEO of Genesis Health System, said during his welcoming remarks.
Mr. Cropper told the open house crowd of his experience trying to find a care facility for his father when he became ill several years ago. He recalled spending a solid week looking at many different places before he finally found one that met his needs. His father needed a place like The Summit. “That’s what I wanted as a son for my father,” he added.
“There is nothing like this in the Quad Cities,” added Rob Kretzinger, president and CEO of WesleyLife, owner of The Summit.
The Summit is a Wellspire Community for Healthy Living. Wellspire is a partnership of WesleyLife and Genesis Health System.
Mr. Kretzinger also jokingly asked his colleagues that when they describe The Summit to “not use the F-word – facility. Because this is a community.”
Several officials attending the open house also thanked The Summit’s “pioneers.” That’s the term they use to describe the first people to move into the senior community.
The Rev. Steinle is one of those “pioneers.” He said he was one of the first residents when he moved in on Nov. 10.
He added that his favorite part of The Summit is the superior level of care all residents receive.
“It’s really a holistic approach to senior living. And what I mean by that is they care for seniors at every level,” he added.
