Legacy of care, A.G. Rhodes
Legacy of care, A.G. Rhodes

Dear A.G. Rhodes Family

A letter from CEO Deke Cateau

As I continue to reflect on the events that began to unfold in 2020, I am humbled to be part of a community of care partners, families, and friends who continue to selflessly commit their time, donate critical resources, and put their own health at risk to provide the expert and compassionate care that our seniors need now more than ever before.

Legacy of care, A.G. Rhodes
Legacy of care, A.G. Rhodes
Legacy of care, A.G. Rhodes

I am also struck by the fact that nobody could have foreseen what was to come. The unprecedented COVID-19 virus, exacerbated by displays of systemic racism and injustice, created a double pandemic that would challenge us all in profound ways. Times of great struggle often bring renewed clarity, and in this case the harsh realities of elder care in our nation have come into much clearer focus.

We can now clearly see that the burden of COVID-19 is falling disproportionately on racial and ethnic minority groups in long-term care facilities, exacerbating longstanding inequalities that have been lingering at the surface of our society. With nursing home residents comprising more than 40 percent of COVID-19-related deaths in the United States, we can also see that the institutional design of nursing homes makes it too easy for a virus to spread – and for our nation to look the other way.

This must be the moment in our nation’s history that inspires the systemic change needed in the nursing industry – particularly in Atlanta, America’s fastest aging city. Coupled with the mounting prevalence of dementia diagnoses in Georgia, families are increasingly turning to community institutions to care for their aging parents at the very moment when those institutions have become overwhelmed and outdated.

At A.G. Rhodes, we have been providing expert and compassionate rehabilitation therapy and residential care to Atlanta’s elders for more than a century. During that time, we have emerged as a national thought leader for person-directed care – particularly for those who are living with dementia. Most importantly, we continue to be one of the only mission-driven nonprofit nursing home providers to maintain a steadfast commitment to serving our city’s uninsured, underinsured, and underserved seniors.

Please help us create A LEGACY OF CARE as we pioneer what it means to live
well during all stages of life – regardless of age, diagnosis, or socioeconomic status.

Please help us create A LEGACY OF CARE as we pioneer what it means to live
well during all stages of life – regardless of age, diagnosis, or socioeconomic status.

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As we continue to use every available resource to respond to the pandemic, this crisis has strengthened our resolve to improve our model of care to create a safer and more human-centered environment for our community’s most vulnerable. But we cannot succeed without your support.

The time is now for us to build a new kind of nursing home community that can be replicated throughout Atlanta and across the nation. A community that better protects its residents from infectious disease; a community that empowers those living with dementia to lead lives of independence and fulfillment; and above all, a community that keeps the human spirit at the heart of everything it does.

Please help us create A LEGACY OF CARE as we pioneer what it means to live well during all stages of life – regardless of age, diagnosis, or socioeconomic status. The future for our parents, ourselves, and our children is bright when all our days are full of care, compassion, and purpose.

In Gratitude,

Legacy of care, A.G. Rhodes

Deke Cateau, Chief Executive Officer

Legacy of care, A.G. Rhodes

To support our Legacy of Care Campaign, please contact the Development Office at 404-636-3512, ext. 4, or foundation@agrhodes.org.