About Us

About The GreenFields

At The GreenFields Continuing Care Community, our mission is to provide for the physical, social, and spiritual needs of those we serve, in a Christian environment. We believe in the dignity and worth of each individual and that every resident of our continuing care communities should be encouraged to retain or regain the highest level of independence possible. As such, we provide a variety of care and service options – from independent living and outpatient rehabilitation to long-term skilled nursing and memory care – all so you can make the right choice for your needs.

Values

As part of the Niagara Lutheran Health System, The GreenFields Continuing Care Community’s core values are:

Responsibility

We are accountable for our individual performance
and the achievement of the organization’s quality, strategic and financial goals.

Compassion

We believe in a sensitivity toward human needs
and a commitment to serving people of all faiths and walks of life.

Respect

We respect and value the diversity of our workforce,
the customer we serve, the environment in which we work, and the resources we use.

Integrity

We demonstrate professionalism, honesty, trust
and fairness in all interactions with each other, residents, physicians and other customers.

Commitment

We are committed to improving our community
by taking a leadership role in the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective services.

Celebrating 20 Years of Caring at The GreenFields

Read about our history and check out a photo gallery here.

Visit our YouTube page

Site of The GreenFields Before Construction

Niagara Lutheran Home & Rehabilitation Center in Buffalo

History of Niagara Lutheran Health System

When founded in 1956, the Niagara Lutheran Home was the first free-standing nursing home in New York State. Today, the Niagara Lutheran Health System is a network of organizations which employs more than 500 dedicated people.

The Niagara Lutheran Home at 64 Hager St. on Buffalo’s East Side was founded by The Lutheran Council on the Niagara Frontier. After looking for existing buildings to remodel, the Lutheran Council decided to build a brand-new home, and the board of directors of the Lutheran Church Home of Buffalo, located at 217 E. Delavan, voted to transfer ownership of a parcel of land around the corner on Hager Street for the new home. The Niagara Lutheran Home admitted its first patients on July 9, 1956.

In 1990, Niagara Lutheran began operating the Niagara Lutheran Delaware Home at 1040 Delaware Ave. in Buffalo, in addition to the Hager Street facility.

In the mid 1990s, Niagara Lutheran’s Board of Directors focused on developing a continuing care community in Western New York, where various levels of senior care would be provided on a single campus. In 1996, the Niagara Lutheran Health System was incorporated, and 52 acres of farmland on Broadway in Lancaster was purchased to become the location for The GreenFields.

On October 2, 1998, 120 residents from the Niagara Lutheran Delaware Home were moved into their new home. The Niagara Lutheran Delaware Home was then closed, with its operations transferred to GreenField Health & Rehabilitation Center.

Following the opening of GreenField Health & Rehabilitation Center, the next phase of campus development began, consisting of residential apartments at GreenField Manor and assisted living apartments at GreenField Court. The first residents moved into the Manor and Court in October 2001.

In 2006, The Lutheran Church Home of Buffalo joined the Niagara Lutheran Health System. In 2013, GreenField Terrace memory care and enhanced assisted living facility opened as the new Lutheran Church Home.

In December 2015, an era came to an end as the Niagara Lutheran Home & Rehabilitation Center was sold. The low Medicaid reimbursement situation made it very difficult for Niagara Lutheran to continue the cost-effective operation of the facility.

Planning for the Future of The GreenFields

Census Bureau Forecasts Demand

The Census Bureau estimates that by 2035 there will be 78 million people age 65 and older, compared to 76.4 million under 18. This will mark the first time that seniors will outnumber children in U.S. history. These seismic demographic shifts will affect many aspects of life, and the Niagara Lutheran Health System is already considering how these changes may affect senior care in Western New York.

Expansion of GHRC

Over the next few years, Niagara Lutheran will be undertaking several new projects, the first of which is the expansion of GreenField Health & Rehabilitation Center (GHRC) with the addition of 24 new private rooms. New plans for 2018 include the conversion of 16 semi-private rooms to private rooms, and the addition of eight private skilled nursing rooms at GHRC which will be reserved for an underserved population who cannot afford to pay for their care. Pending final approvals from the New York State Department of Health, groundbreaking for this project is planned for later this year. These rooms will further enhance our mission of caring for those who can no longer care for themselves.

Long-Term Growth

In addition to this expansion of GHRC, the Niagara Lutheran Health System’s long-range plans also include the purchase of land or property for creation of new campus for mission development initiatives, including the possibility of market-rate or affordable senior housing, and further development of community outreach programs.