Louisville nonprofit serving senior citizens close to finishing multi-million renovation project

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Phyllis Morton isn't a trained musician. In fact, she didn't even start taking piano lessons until after she retired from Jefferson County Public Schools and started coming to ElderServe.

A teacher for 30 years in JCPS, Morton is now one of the dozens of senior citizens in Louisville that ElderServe helps to overcome social isolation, pursue wellness and maintain independence.

"We are aging and we do need places to go and things to do with our time so that we can age gracefully," Morton said Friday.

ElderServe is under new leadership and doing a lot more than helping seniors age gracefully. Timothy Findley Jr., the new CEO, is navigating the nonprofit through a multimillion-dollar renovation project.

"It really is going to be just an amazing community," he said. "This will have its own separate staff from the senior center."

There are still some loose screws, but when it's done, Findley said it will change the lives of Louisville's aging population and their loves ones.

"This facility is going to serve seniors who have early onset dementia, Alzheimer's," he said. "And the reason why that's so important — when you think about, especially in this area — Black seniors are more likely than any other demographic to develop Alzheimer’s but are 35% less likely to be diagnosed."

The project has some funding help from the city and state, but Findley said they still need more to finish it the way they want. He's asking churches, corporations and fundraising boards for help to build something he said will be unlike anything else in Louisville.

"We need churches, we need corporations. We need fundraising boards to help us because this is unlike anything else in this area."

Morton feels confident both she and the project will end on a high note.

"Hopefully, we'll get the word out and more people will come," she said.

The grand reopening of the new ElderServe facility in west Louisville is scheduled to happen sometime in early March.

As a nonprofit, ElderServe relies almost entirely on the support of the community. CLICK HERE to find out how to donate, sponsor or become a volunteer.

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