Campus Spotlight: Columbus

Welcome to Magnolia Manor in Columbus, Georgia! As our website says, we’re on “the banks of the Chattahoochee, where the Piedmont meets the Plain.” Sounds inviting, doesn’t it? And it is. While some of the nine Magnolia Manor campuses are quite large, we are a small community here in Columbus. Just 44 assisted living apartments plus two skilled nursing wings.

So, what is it like living and working here?

A Sense of True Ministry

Assisted Living Administrator Melissa Ryland has spent her career working with seniors, but she says Magnolia Manor is very different compared to most senior care communities, which are profit-driven. She likes the atmosphere at Magnolia Manor of Columbus – the fact that it’s small, faith-based and non-profit.

You get a sense of true ministry, she says, and as a staff member she especially enjoys that. She is also impressed with Magnolia Manor’s dedication to continually reinvesting revenue in caring for the property, staff and residents.

As a faith-based community, Magnolia Manor offers a feature not typically found in senior living communities -- an onsite chaplain who conducts church services for residents. Participation is optional, of course, and not everyone attends; but for those who do, this is a significant part of their lives. Since the campus doesn’t have a stand-alone chapel, they transform meeting rooms into chapels for services.

Before the pandemic (and now that restrictions are lifting again), residents can also attend church services anywhere in Columbus. Some choose to do both. But having a chaplain and services right at hand is important. During the quarantine, it was even more valuable for residents to have an onsite chaplain so they could continue to practice their faith.

A Close-Knit Community

The small size of this campus means staff can really get to know the residents and their families, and residents can get to know one another.

The campus now has a brand new, wheelchair-accessible van. It arrived earlier this year, just as things are starting to open up post-pandemic, and residents are getting out more. “It’s such a great investment,” Melissa says, “because wheelchair access means everyone can go.” The “bus” takes residents to shop and out to eat. And this spring, a group went for a tour around the park to enjoy the magnificent azaleas in bloom.

Coming Back to Life

Magnolia Manor has been very cautious since COVID first appeared, and Melissa says that caution has kept everyone safer. Now residents can go with their families for the day, and that has been a big morale-booster.

Activities are picking up on campus, too. Residents are particularly enjoying the return of communal dining. They can get together to eat and socialize and re-form friendships that have been more or less on hold for the last year or two.

Our residents celebrated Mother’s Day with a special event, and in June it’s Doughnuts for Dads. Magnolia Manor of Columbus has an unusually high male population – almost half the residents. For their special day, each male resident gets his own table, to be seated with members of his family if they are able to attend. 

Melissa reports that, with the campus opening up again, she has noticed improvement in the residents’ health. “People are getting light back in their lives,” she smiles. “The focus was mainly on keeping the residents safe when COVID first started. Now that we know more about it, we’re able to ease up a bit. The atmosphere is uplifting, the sun is shining, and the residents are congregating on the porch again.”

Come See For Yourself

At Magnolia Manor, we take care of everything - maintenance, cooking, cleaning, transportation, laundry, housekeeping, and more - so our residents can spend their time doing the things they actually enjoy. To learn more about our Columbus campus or one of our other eight senior living communities, contact us online or give us a call at 855-540-LIFE (5433).