Founders Ridge

Growing up in his fathers rural churches in southwestern Minnesota, Dan Lindh saw firsthand the needs of older adults. This sparked a lifelong passion for service, one that defines his long tenure as president and CEO of Presbyterian Homes & Services (PHS), the third largest nonprofit provider of senior housing and services in the nation.Inspired by a world growing older, Dan is shaping a vision of a thriving future for older adults. As he prepares for his next chapter, his expertise in senior care continues to make a difference, impacting communities in Minnesota, throughout the Midwest and beyond.In this Q&A, listen in as Dan discusses overcoming challenges, seizing new opportunities and shares advice for the next generation of leaders.PHS: Wed love to hear about your journey in aging services. What early skills or experiences propelled you towards leadership roles?Dan Lindh: I had been called to this work a continuation of how I grew up in smaller communities. So, in the mid-70s I started as an accountant at PHS. Going back to get my long term care administrators license after a few years allowed me to go deeper, do more. The University of Minnesota enabled me further to fulfill that purpose by broadening my range of service to people with more frailties and addressing significant societal needs.PHS has a long history of serving older adults as a nonprofit mission. Can you describe how PHS approached this mission in the early days, and how has their strategy evolved to meet the changing needs of the community?When I started, we were connected to 3M, and we spent time on research and development, coming up with creative ways to serve small numbers of older adults with very low income. Then we would transfer that knowledge gained from experimental programs to other organizations, sometimes other countries.Sometime later we had what I call a kairos moment, a partnership that challenged our economic model. I was personally involved with an expensive issue we were trying to solve, for several years. From a Christian perspective, God allows those circumstances in our lives for reasons we cant see at the time. Along with some provocateur conversations about our strategic plan, as reviewed by very competent people, we were challenged to think more externally than internally. So we really had to think about who we as an organization are now, and its probably not going to be what it was in the past. I had that opportunity with Barry Knight to develop a strategic plan for the organization, which is essentially the same plan, just different iterations that we have today.It came to be about growth, multi-value streams and concentrated scale, which is a kind of unique tactic in which you develop a lot of services, buildings and community capacity, all within a pretty tight timeframe.So today, for example, in the Twin Cities alone, we have 42 communities, and we probably serve 20,000 people. We serve 27,000 overall including those living in communities in Iowa and Wisconsin.With that, you start to think about population health and about how you can have comprehensive systems to help serve older adults that you couldnt do from a smaller platform.For example, weve extended into things like 1.5 million home delivered meals a year to older adults with low income, partnered with a primary practice of 62 doctors and nurse practitioners as well as secured a value-based contract with CMS and a 182 million per year partnership with Allina and other providers.All of this arises from a platform of organizational effectiveness and mission fulfillment in potentially creative ways but for sure in comprehensive ways to help from end to end the average person who is roughly 85 when they come to live with us.Residents range in age from 60 to 110, and they stay with us for an average of seven years. They represent families and communities, and were committed to helping older adults find home and experience community. I like to think we can help provide people and their needs wherever theyre at, wherever they call home.As PHS expands its reach, what are some of the biggest challenges now or on the horizon? Conversely, what exciting opportunities do you see for innovation and wider impact?People used to ask me what I do, and Id answer that I work in older adult services, and I could hardly get that many words out of my mouth and people would fall asleep. Not so much anymore. People almost always want to engage in some way because they get just how significant the aging population is. Were a different world. And were about to be entirely different in a hurry.The number of older adults in our state will more than double in next 15 years, and itll grow until about 2050 and then stabilizes. Meanwhile, the workforce maybe grows 4 to 5 percent, but the demand for the workers in our space will grow by at least 45 percent, maybe 50 percent.Thats a kairos moment, which means what weve been doing up till now wont stay the same. And if were going to be different, its going to require workforce to be different and its going to require new creative models in how we help older adults build their own networks and self-efficacy.How do we keep people at home, how do we keep older adults more independent, how do we provide lower cost services and more affordable housing?It requires partnerships, thinking across siloes of education, acute care, primary care, medical support services and technology to help people maintain their independence and stay at home. And how do we help older adults be part of a growing economy when they have less time and fewer abilities to engage?The emerging older population in our society profoundly impacts the quality of life for the whole state and, really, the nation and the globe. This is an international issue that requires new kinds of workforce. It requires an entire ecosystem with acute care and rethinking how the dollars flow out of Medicare and Medicaid, how the federal and the state governments determine their budgets and what percentage of funds were able as a country and as a state to allocate among the many needs we have, from education to infrastructure to the judicial system.Every one of those creates a leadership opportunity and demands some of the best thinking we can come up with.What advice do you have for the next generation of leaders?Leadership is about getting a good grasp on all the circumstances in the environment and a sense for whats directionally happening, and where change needs to occur. Also, [leadership is] being able to step into that space to shape the organizations strategy, vision and services without any barriers in thinking due to what the past has been or what the current frameworks are. Its being pragmatic but also detached from existing structures and thinking very creatively about a different future. And I think its more essential now than its ever been.The changing society and how people think, how they want to engage in work, how older adults are aging and what that looks like for them all must be rethought. Because its already different and its about to be a lot more different not too far down the road. Its a daunting thing.What gives you hope, even in the face of daunting challenges?Theres a lot of hope because we are in a growing field. Any time youre in a growth market and change is happening, by definition theres opportunity. With the environment and circumstances that were in, theres more opportunity than theres ever been.Hope is absolutely necessary if were going to thrive. You cant thrive without engaging all society; you cant thrive without 20 to 25 percent of society being engaged as they possibly can be. How can we help position work so that older adults can do more and be a more integral part, and with that, have more purpose and more hope?Part of whats at stake is basically the quality of life for all Americans.Because if we can keep people productive really productive and if we can help those newly entering the workforce too and extend that productivity and engagement for societal good, it can make a big difference in terms of how the whole economy performs.I also find hope in the science of genome testing and predictors about wellness techniques and people taking better care of themselves essentially, better science around keeping people more independent longer and being purposeful in their living and engaged in what they do.So how can we help people live longer and more purposeful at the same time? Theres a lot of hope in that one.  

Who is your neighbor? Have you ever asked that question? Maybe you think of those who live on either side of your house or apartment. Being a neighbor, however, is more than that. The lawyers question to Jesus sets the stage for whats now a familiar story: The Good Samaritan.And behold, a lawyer stood up to put [Jesus] to the test, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? [Jesus] said to him, What is written in the Law? How do you read it? And he answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. And [Jesus] said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live. But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Luke 10:25-29, ESVJesus tells a story of a man who fell among robbers and was left half dead. The attacked man was in dire need of attention and care. In the story, the first two figures to arrive on the scene a priest and a Levite passed by. They saw him and did nothing, perhaps to maintain their own religious cleanliness for temple ceremonies.A third person, however, approached, saw the man and had compassion. He was a Samaritan someone Jesus audience deemed outside of Gods community for a variety of reasons. Compassion led him to help. He stopped, changed his plans, bandaged the mans wounds and paid for his continued care.Jesus flips the script on his questioner in two ways. First, he makes an alleged enemy (the Samaritan) the hero the one who is faithful to Gods Law. Second, he asks his own question: Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among robbers? The initial question Who is my neighbor? misses the point. Being a neighbor is what the lawyer could do, showing mercy to anyone within his proximity. You cant always choose your neighbors, but you can choose to love.In fact, Love one another, from John 13, is a biblical framework passage for Presbyterian Homes & Services. Our work of love extends to all people. Every day provides an opportunity to love older adults and fellow coworkers with the kind of love Jesus presents in the story of the Good Samaritan. Therefore, let us be neighbors to one another through loving acts. This will lead to life now and into the age to come.About Pastor Matt Anderson: I serve at Summerwood of Plymouth and Summerwood of Chanhassen. Ive been with PHS 3 years. I currently live in Plymouth, Minn., with my wife Liz. We have two adult children. When Im not busy leading Bible studies, preaching or doing visitations I enjoy playing guitar, gardening and reading.The Light for the Way series provides staff with an examination of a biblical reading to deepen our focus on scripture. Thank you for engaging with this series as we seek wisdom through prayer and reflection as a Christian Ministry.  

To meet the needs of a workforce seeking affordable housing in some of the highest cost of living parts of the country, senior living providers are taking matters into their own hands.Two such operators, Naples, Florida-based Moorings Park in Naples and St. Paul, Minnesota-based Presbyterian Homes and Services, have a variety of projects underway to meet these needs.Moorings Park, in a joint venture with real estate developer K2 Developers, acquired a Super 8 hotel and has been in the process of renovating it since September 2022, according to Mary Morton, chief financial officer of The Moorings Park Institute, Inc.Part of the reason for doing so was addressing the immediate need expressed by workers who couldnt afford to live in the area, where the average rent of a one-bedroom apartment is around $2,000 per month.We acquired [the] hotel in order to deliver much needed housing in a rapid manner relative to ground up development projects, which often take at least four years to get approved, built and stabilized, Morton said.For Presbyterian Homes and Services, the need for housing was found through an employee survey, where 19% of workers expressed an interest in workforce housing if the company could provide it, according to Senior Vice President Jon Fletcher.If they couldnt find affordable housing, they may be forced to relocate elsewhere, potentially impacting their ability to continue working with us, Fletcher said. We view that as a very high percentage of our employees, thats upwards of 1,400 of our employees.To address the need, Presbyterian Homes and Services acquired an existing independent living and assisted community and converted a portion of the units for workforce housing purposes. After the acquisition in September 2023, the first employees have already moved in and more are on the way, according to Fletcher.An immediate needFor Moorings Park, the acquisition of the Super 8 hotel turned out to be immediately beneficial.The property was fully leased until just recently, because about two weeks after we acquired the property, our area was directly hit by Hurricane Ian, Morton said. We were fortunate to be able to provide much needed housing or immediate housing for those individuals who worked at Moorings Park and other local employers who lost their homes or had their homes badly damaged during the storm.While renovations are still underway, Morton added there has been positive feedback from the employees that have been living there so far.In addition to the hotel, the Moorings Park Foundation collaborates with Habitat for Humanity to provide financial assistance for employees to purchase a Habitat for Humanity home and is helping fund the conversion of an old golf course into housing that will be available for essential workers and seniors through a public/private partnership between the county and two other local foundations. The project is noted to be the first of its kind in Florida.Through discussions with employees, Fletcher said Presbyterian Homes and Services was able to identify a need of 20 to 40 apartments in the markets of St. Paul and Bloomington, Minnesota, and Stillwater, Minnesota. With its current offerings, the communities are designed to be independent senior living communities, and through the Fair Housing Acts age exemption, 20% of those apartments can be occupied by individuals younger than 55, allowing for 20 to be used by employees.Despite Presbyterian Homes still being early in the process for allowing workforce housing, Fletcher said there is a known demand. When the housing opportunity was communicated to employees, he said around 40 responded and said they were interested in living there.We know theres demand, Fletcher said. At the same time, we also know employees need to terminate or wait until their current lease is ended, wherever theyre living.Another community that has been offering workforce housing, at Lake Minnetonka, consistently houses 30 employees. The net promoter scores from those employees are higher than other employees and their length of stay with the company is about twice as long.We find that those employees end up being what we call trees for the organization in terms of their longevity. It really helps to provide them with a stable affordable housing option, Fletcher said.With its latest project, Presbyterian Homes and Services charges between $800 and $1,500 for rent for all residents, making it intentionally affordable. The cost was determined by charging 60% of the median area income to keep prices below market rate.Additionally, having affordable housing readily available has allowed both companies to fill vacant positions with foreign workers, whether they are nurses from the Philippines for Presbyterian Homes and Services or seasonal staff from the hospitality industry for Moorings Park.Based on the current successes seen through the programs, both Fletcher and Morton said there are plans to add additional workforce housing solutions to their respective companies, though it is dependent on the demand.Navigating housing challengesThere are challenges associated with providing workforce housing. Despite being faster than developing from the ground up, zoning and permitting can slow a project down, not in my back yard pushback from area residents and businesses due to the stigma of affordable housing.The hotel acquired by Moorings Park, for example, despite being acquired in September 2022, is still obtaining the necessary zoning and permits for the renovations and as such an anticipated completion date for the project cant be determined at this time.Its just the process. Its very complicated, Morton said.Another challenge, particularly for providers that operate in multiple regions, is determining where to put housing for employees. According to Fletcher, identifying areas with high concentrations of employees who want to live in provided housing is the key.Its probably going to be more challenging to make it work in areas where we dont have high concentrations of employees, he said. The reality is that even if you do provide employee housing, there might not be a huge percentage of your employees that want to live in housing that you provide as well, theres probably a stigma associated with that.Because employers are providing housing for employees, theres also the chance of blurring the lines between personal and professional life for residents. To avoid this, Morton suggests utilizing a property manager to handle day to day tasks, alongside implementing policies to promote fairness and transparency in housing related matters and smooth out the relationship between employer and employee.Another approach is having a physical separation for the work and tenant experience, as well as providing privacy for tenants, which is what Fletcher said his company has been implementing.In the latest building that we acquired, we are targeting to have all the employees live on a certain floor. Its easier for them to just kind of check out and go to their own floor so theyre not always having to interact with residents if they dont want to, he said.For senior living providers looking to offer workforce housing, Morton suggests bringing on a development partner. Even if the project hadnt worked out, she said, Moorings Park would have acquired an asset and it wouldnt have been an economic drain.Forming a joint venture with our development partner allowed us to leverage their strengths and expertise, mitigate risks and access additional resources, ultimately contributing to a more resilient and sustainable business model, she said.Fletcher said he encourages other senior living providers to pursue affordable housing, despite the challenges, as it benefits the greater market.I would just encourage folks to try. They dont necessarily need to try to bite off 100, 200 or 500 units at a time. Just small pockets of affordable units could probably go a long way, he said.

Prayer is an amazing topic. At times, it seems like we spend more time talking about prayer than the actual practice of praying.I heard about a man who came to his wife one day with an urgent prayer request from his friend. The man says to his wife that his friend, Fred, called him to pray for his wife Carol and the kids because they were in a car accident.The mans wife says, Is Carol okay? Are the kids okay? To which the man says, I dont know. Fred just asked me to pray. The mans wife says, Which hospital did they take Carol to? Were the other people in the car okay? The husband replies, I dont know. Fred just asked me to pray.Have you been there? You receive a request from a friend to pray, and you spend the entire time analyzing the situation instead of getting on your knees and praying. I get it. I do the same. I want more details.However, it may be best to stop and pray for the other person on the spot. Go ahead and get just enough information to offer a simple prayer.Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7, NIVOf course, you might be intimidated to pray for someone in public. Thats okay as well. If you are interested in the ministry of prayer at Presbyterian Homes & Services (PHS), I would suggest that you seek out your campus pastor about training in the Praying Hands Ministry program. Your campus pastor will offer a seminar so you can pray confidently with others when they bring you a prayer request. You wont have to analyze the situation. You will be ready and engaged to pray.Come and prepare to pray for others, and we will develop a culture of prayer at PHS.About Campus Pastor John Cordova: I began serving at Lake Minnetonka Shores in February 2020, just before the Covid pandemic arrived. I fill the role of director of pastoral care, the greatest job ever. I live in Maple Grove with my wife of 40-plus years. We have raised three daughters, and they have given us three wonderful grandsons (hoping for a granddaughter in the future). If we are not with our grandkids, we spend our time socializing with our neighbors.The Light for the Way series provides staff with an examination of a biblical reading to deepen our focus on scripture. Thank you for engaging with this series as we seek wisdom through prayer and reflection as a Christian Ministry.  

The cross in the Roman Empire was designed to be far more than just a method of execution; it was a potent tool of humiliation, a symbol of public shame, and a stark declaration of utter defeat. While most criminals under Roman rule were simply "put to the sword" or beheaded, crucifixion was reserved for the gravestcasesthose where the rulers sought to send a powerful, lasting message to anyone who might still harbor admiration for or allegiance to the condemned.This brutal method was used to execute leaders of bandit gangs, instigators of rebellions, and, most famously, the wisest and most compassionate man who ever livedJesus of Galilee.In an act of profound mercy, God forgave all our sins, erasing the charges that stood against us in condemnation. He took these accusations and nailed them to the cross, disarming the rulers and authorities, and making a public example of them by triumphing over them through the cross. Colossians 2:13b-15This passage in Colossians highlights the profound irony of the cross. What was meant to be an instrument of punishment and death was transformed into the very source of forgiveness and life everlasting. The nails intended to pierce human flesh, in the hands of God, were used instead to affix the accusations against us, rendering them powerless and forever nullified.Through this act, we are pardoned, declared perfect, because the perfect Son of God was declared guilty in our place.If you were to pause in your Scripture reading right at this point, you would encounter one of the most important truths ever written. It demonstrates how Jesus, who upended so many aspects of the world, continued to do so even in his death. The man who taught us that the last shall be first, that the poor are blessed, and that we are on the right path when we face scorn, endured relentless shame to reveal eternal glory.But Colossians takes it even further. In addition to securing our salvation, the Crucifixion also served as a judgment against the rulers of this world. It exposed the failures of earthly justice, revealing how it can be fundamentally flawed, needlessly cruel, and out of alignment with Gods will. The rulers and authorities of the world had their opportunity to pass judgment on Jesus, and they failed so profoundly that only the Resurrection could reverse their error.I share this reflection after a month of political chaos, not to sow despair, but to remind you that Gods justice prevails, even when its victory is achieved through the cross.Pastor Chris Wheatley serves as the Senior Director of Pastoral Care Services for PHS. An ordained Lutheran pastor, he has ministered in various settings, including hospice, eldercare, hospitals, HIV/AIDS care, and congregations. He and his wife, Nicole, share their home with an ever-growing number of cats and Dobermans."The Light for the Way" series offers staff a deeper exploration of biblical readings, encouraging us to focus on scripture. Thank you for engaging with this series as we seek wisdom through prayer and reflection within our Christian ministry.