Wesley Woods

Wesley Woods Senior Living owns and manages retirement communities across North Georgia.

Founded in 1954 by leaders of the North Georgia Conference of the Methodist Church to provide the first Methodist Home for the Aged. In 1960, the Methodist Home for the Aged recommended that the North Georgia Conference of the Methodist Church purchase 15 acres on Clifton Road in Atlanta from Emory University to build a retirement community. In 1962, the Methodist Home for the Aged became known as Wesley Homes, Inc. Wesley Homes began its affiliation with Emory's Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center in the 1980s formalizing its ties with the University. In 1998, that affiliation grew stronger and led to an agreement under which nearby Wesley Woods Center campus came under Emory's umbrella. Out of this grew the Wesley Woods Center of Emory University, with interdisciplinary training, research and treatment programs for geriatric care. In 2015 it was renamed Emory Wesley Woods Center.

Campuses

Wesley Woods Towers

The first building to open was Wesley Woods Towers in 1965. One of only a few retirement living options in the area at the time, the Towers were the first round buildings constructed in Atlanta. The round shape of each building allows the 201 apartments to be organized into "neighborhoods," providing the residents a sense of community. Wesley Woods Senior Living, Inc. continues to manage this property as of 2022.

Wesley Woods Senior Living, Inc.

As the retirement housing division of Wesley Woods, Wesley Woods Senior Living, Inc. and its affiliates own and manage the sister communities of Wesley Woods providing affordable, independent apartment and cottage living, assisted living, nursing care, and memory care at eight locations throughout North Georgia. It is affiliated with both the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church and the Emory Wesley Woods Center. A non-profit organization, Wesley Woods Senior Living communities provides comprehensive, regionally oriented programs and serve as training and research facilities to address important health issues associated with aging.

Wesley Woods Health Center

The Wesley Woods Health Center was completed in February, 1966. The Health Center provided skilled nursing care and treatment to restore patients to their former living arrangements, as well as long-term care for patients unable to return home. The Health Center was home to a number of prominent Atlantans, including Lena Fox whose life served as a basis for a play and subsequently, the movie "Driving Miss Daisy."

The building is now home to the Emory Center for Health in Aging, an interdisciplinary training and research center used by the Emory Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health. Through the Emory Center for Health in Aging, Wesley Woods Center and Emory University are working together along with nineteen other academic medical facilities throughout the United States to develop teaching methods for future geriatricians.

The Health Center is also home to Emory researchers focusing on movement disorders, Alzheimer's disease, and neurology.

In 2007, a research neuro-imaging center was constructed on the second floor of the building to assist Emory scientists in these areas of research. Other clinics in the building include the Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression, the Emory Sleep Center, an outpatient geriatric psychiatry practice, and a geriatric dentist. At any one time, there are more than 150 physicians, researchers and/or nurses working together to discover new treatments, provide care and develop new medical techniques for seniors.

Budd Terrace Nursing Care Facility

As the campus continued to develop, leadership decided an intermediate-care facility was needed. The Budd Terrace, named in honor of Dr. Candler Budd, one of those responsible for bringing to fruition a ministry to older adults in the North Georgia Conference, was opened as a skilled nursing facility in October, 1972. Built to accommodate 200 people, it is one of the few intermediate-care units in the Southeast.

Budd Terrace provides long-term care and sub-acute care to Atlanta seniors. In 2006, inpatient hospice services were added to the list of services offered at Budd Terrace.

Geriatric Hospital

In September 1985, the ground was broken for the $20 million, 100-bed Geriatric Teaching and Research Hospital. This was the first free-standing geriatric hospital in the nation. The stated goals of the hospital are to diagnose and treat medical and psychiatric disorders affecting older adults, to develop models for geriatric services and educational resources, and to broaden Wesley Woods' commitment to charitable care. In 1987, the Geriatric Hospital opens as a milestone as a national leader in geriatric medicine and research. The two-story hospital features an outpatient clinic, in-patient, and out-patient rehabilitation services, long-term acute care, a medical unit, and two secure inpatient psychiatric units. In 1995, an Outpatient Clinic adjacent to the Geriatric Hospital opens, proving medical care through physicians specializing in geriatric medicine.

Asbury Harris Epworth Towers

Approval was given for a retirement community in the Greenbriar area of Atlanta and in December, 1971, Asbury Harris Epworth Towers opened.

Lanier Gardens

Receiving approval and funding from the North Georgia Conference, Lanier Gardens opened in Athens in January, 1973.

Branan Towers

Branan Towers in Southeast Atlanta opened in October, 1973.

St. John Towers

St. John Towers located in the historic district of Augusta opened in January, 1974.

Branan Lodge

Branan Lodge opens in Blairsville at Wesley Mountain Village.

Wesley Woods Newnan

Wesley Woods of Newnan-Peachtree City continuing care retirement community opened in 1998.

Talmage Terrace

Talmage Terrace continuing care retirement living community opens, adjacent to Lanier Gardens in Athens in 1999.

The Foundation

Each year, Wesley Woods provides millions of dollars worth of unreimbursed care with support from donors and foundations. The Foundation of Wesley Woods was created to help ensure that healthcare services remain available to seniors in Georgia. The funds raised for charitable care have replaced reimbursement shortfalls and allowed older adults who are unable to pay for treatment to continue to receive care. The Foundation has provided funds for the upkeep and renovation of the retirement communities. They also enable the Foundation to provide special care for patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and age-related depression
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References

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Buildings and structures in Atlanta