The agreement with United Methodist Homes and Services (UMHS), which operates in northern Chicago, offers an opportunity for CRC to expand its services that may become a model for operations elsewhere, says Joe Haughney, national director of operations.

Haughney says the deal represents an alliance between two non-profit, faith-based organizations, each of which have operated for more than 100 years. Although CRC, a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church, is purchasing half interest in the Methodist operations, "they have no ownership with us," he adds.

The agreement forms Covenant Methodist Senior Services (CMSS). The alliance is not a separate legal entity, but operates under the Methodist Homes and Services' 501c3, Haughney says. According to a CRC press release, "Services provided through the alliance include home maintenance referral service, affordable senior housing, home care, adult day care, assisted living, short-term rehabilitation, respite care, skilled nursing and long-term care, and Alzheimer¹s and dementia care."

CMSS now owns and operates The Methodist Home, a skilled nursing, rehabilitation and memory support center at 1415 West Foster Avenue, and Covenant Methodist Home Care, a paraprofessional service providing in-home assistance with activities focused on daily living, with offices in Chicago and the near suburbs. In addition, CMSS manages two assisted living residences in Chicago: Covenant Home of Chicago, 2720 W. Foster, and Hartwell House, 5520 N. Paulina.

The arrangement will enable "synergy in marketing, management and logistics," Haughney says, adding that the two organizations have worked together previously. "We've had a real good relationship." Residents of Covenant Home of Chicago have used the skilled nursing at The Methodist Home, which has 120 beds. Employees of the home care operation have provided personal assistance to residents of Covenant Home and Covenant Village of Northbrook.

The homecare assistance does not involve nursing, Haughney says, but provides personal care such as preparing meals, bathing and shopping. "At CRC, we feel the need to provide more services to our constituents who want to stay in their homes," he adds.

"We hope to use this as a model," Haughney says, explaining that home assistance is not available elsewhere through CRC, which operates 14 communities in eight states. That could change if the arrangement works well in Chicago.