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Braddock Apartments help families stay together

Photo Provided Good Shepherd Nursing Home resident Henry

Photo Provided
Good Shepherd Nursing Home resident Henry “Bud” Vogler and his wife, Margaret, display a photo of their wedding, which took place while he was a Navy pilot serving during World War II.

Moving a family member into a nursing home can be difficult. Good Shepherd Nursing Home created Braddock Apartments to help families when a spouse, sibling or other loved one needs nursing care.

Located at the south end of the Good Shepherd campus in Wheeling, Braddock Apartments provide an attractive, affordable living option for people who have someone receiving care at Good Shepherd.

Margaret Vogler of Wheeling moved into Braddock after her husband, Henry “Bud” Vogler, needed more care than she could provide at home. When he first moved into Good Shepherd, she drove daily to visit her husband.

Eventually, though, her children insisted that she give up driving. “My kids, who live out of town, also worried about me living alone,” she said.

The Voglers, both 94, have been married for 71 years, and were accustomed to spending most of their time together. Living in the Braddock Apartments enables Margaret Vogler to visit with her husband every day, as often as she likes, without having to go outdoors.

“We have meals together in his room or in my apartment,” she said. “The staff don’t mind bringing him over whenever he wants to visit.”

The Voglers’ daughter-in-law, Carol Vogler, said her husband and his brother tried to find a nursing home for Henry Vogler that was close to their Eastern Panhandle homes. “There were plenty of nursing homes and assisted living places,” she said, “but none of them came close to having what Good Shepherd offers.”

The family is especially happy that Margaret Vogler can walk to visit her husband whenever she likes, and that they can attend Mass daily in Good Shepherd’s chapel. “It’s worked out very well for them,” Carol Vogler said.

Another Braddock Apartments resident, John Corey, moved in after his wife, Ruth, required nursing home care. Like Margaret Vogler, he drove to Good Shepherd every day to visit his wife, but his children were worried about him driving at the age of 87.

“I heard about an opening at Braddock Apartments and took it,” he said. “I have a wonderful wife, and I want to be close to her. This way I don’t have to drive.”

Corey was widowed twice before he met and married Ruth. He recently had a loveseat delivered to her room at Good Shepherd, where they like to sit and hold hands.

When he’s not visiting with his wife, Corey, 88, enjoys reading and listening to music. One long wall of his living room apartment consists of ceiling-high bookcases filled with his favorite books. A laptop computer on a nearby desk displays cheerful photos of his two children and their families.

“I’m happy here,” he said. “It’s quiet. It’s handy. And the other people are nice.”

Twice a day, Good Shepherd delivers meals to Corey’s apartment. “The food is great,” he said. “This is a very nice place to live.”

Braddock offers one- and two-bedroom units, a complete kitchen, living room and a full bath that includes a stacked washer and dryer. Residents can prepare their own meals, have meals delivered to their apartments or dine with their loved ones at Good Shepherd.

The apartment complex includes a residents’ lounge area with comfortable furniture, a piano, large-screen television and a fireplace. Dinners, exercise classes and other events are held there for Braddock Apartments residents. Residents can also reserve the lounge for private parties.

Braddock Apartments residents are welcome to stay as long as they wish, even if their loved one in Good Shepherd is discharged or dies.

The apartments are currently full, but anyone who is interested in living there can join the waiting list. For information about Good Shepherd Nursing Home or the Braddock Apartments, call Tawnya Knierim, director of admissions and social services, at 304-242-1093.

Located at 159 Edgington Lane in Wheeling, Good Shepherd Nursing Home is a private, nonprofit nursing home that has earned the coveted five-star rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It’s part of a continuum of care that includes independent living and assisted living options offered by the Welty Home for the Aged Inc., a nonprofit organization.

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