A Brief History of The Benjamin Rose Institute

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The agency diligently positions itself to lead the gerontological arena in caring for people. Such a precedent was set by Mr. Rose himself. A shrewd businessman with an empathic heart, Mr. Rose established the organization that bears his name after a visit from a former business associate. The man had outlived his resources, and approached Mr. Rose for assistance. Realizing there must be others for whom the only option was the city infirmary or poorhouse. Mr. Rose chose to leave his fortune to provide another option for those needing assistance in later life.

Mr. Rose hand picked the original board members, who he stipulated be women. Today, in accordance with his Will, the board remains all female. The agency was enacted upon his death in 1908.

In the Benjamin Rose Institute's early years, board members selected recipients who applied for financial assistance. In an era without Social Security, the small monthly stipends (often less than $20) received by clients was often the difference between death and survival.

In the 1930s—in addition to financial support—the Benjamin Rose Institute began providing social work and medical services. The enactment of Social Security by President Roosevelt in 1935 allowed the Benjamin Rose Institute to serve more people.

In the 1940s, the Benjamin Rose Institute began establishing homes for older people. The agency operated three houses (Belford House, Braeburn House and Juniper House) in Cleveland that served as group homes for older people unable to live alone.

Through a partnership with University Hospitals, the Institute opened the Benjamin Rose Hospital in 1953. It was one of the first elder-specific rehabilitative hospitals in the country. For 16 years, the facility helped older people make the hospital-to-home transition after stroke, surgery or other loss of physical abilities.

In 1961, the people living in the Benjamin Rose Institute's three residential homes were moved into Margaret Wagner House, the Institute's first nursing home. The facility served as a model for the nation by showing how homelike care could be provided in an institutional setting.

The same, the Benjamin Rose Institute also created its research department. The first research director, Dr. Margaret Blenkner, conducted landmark studies on elder abuse prevention and the value of home care aides in helping older people with housekeeping and personal care.

In 1971, the Benjamin Rose Library opened as one of the first agency-based libraries devoted solely to materials related to geriatrics and gerontology. The library is part of The Margaret Blenkner Research Institute.

In recent years, the Benjamin Rose Institute has created partnerships with various organizations to develop services that will meet the ever-changing needs of a growing population in an era of managed care. Recent examples of this are the Concordia Care (PACE) Program, the Fairhill Center for Aging, the former HealthRays Alliance, and the Senior Health and Wellness Center.

In 1997, Kethley House at Benjamin Rose Place opened, replacing Margaret Wagner House as the Institute's nursing home. The skilled nursing home was designed to meet the needs of current and future generations of older people. In February of 2006 the difficult but necessary decision to cease nursing care at Kethley House was made. In the Summer of 2006 our Administrative, Research and Services divisions consolidated their offices on the 3rd floor of Kethley House. The remaining floors are being leased to Kindred Hospital systems for their use as a Long Term Acute Care Hospital. This unique partnership between a corporate health care provider and a non-profit social service agency helps us to be a sustainable source of in-home care, research and advocacy into the future.

In 2007, the Community/In-Home Services Division of the Benjamin Rose Institute was restructured as the Eldercare Services Institute, LLC. A second limited liability company—Benjamin Rose Properties, LLC—was created to oversee the properties on Fairhill Blvd. and Euclid Heights Blvd.

Also in 2007, the Benjamin Rose Institute expanded its presence in the advocacy and public policy area with the creation of the Katz Policy Institute. The KPI is named in honor of the Benjamin Rose Institute' Distinguished Scholar, Sidney Katz, MD.

Today, Benjamin Rose helps both those unable to afford the complete cost of care as well as those who can. The agency founded upon one man's vision has not lost sight of his goal, but is keeping an eye on the future as well.