FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Contact: Jennifer Clar, (585) 760-1334

RESIDENT TO CELEBRATE 100TH BIRTHDAY

“That's too old,” jokes Irene A. Harrison, a resident of St. John’s Home, about turning 100 years old. Though she normally doesn't like a big fuss made over her birthday, she is excited about reaching this milestone. Staff, family and friends will help her celebrate at a “brunch affair,” on Friday, February 8 at 10:30 on the second floor of the South Building.

Born on February 9, 1908, Harrison raised three sons (two of them twins) and a daughter. In her youth, she lived on a big farm, on which she had “free reign.” She says she didn't like house work much, so she was outside a lot. This love of the outdoors led her to do much traveling and sight-seeing. She has also had a life-long love for singing and says she had a “pretty good” voice. She trained for vocal performances at the Eastman School of Music and went on to sing solos with her church choir. Harrison also had a 15-year retail career at Sibley's department store.

Tammy Boorum, certified nursing assistant, shares a special relationship with Harrison. Not only is she her caregiver, but Boorum's granddaughter was born on Harrison's 99^th birthday. This year, to celebrate their mutual birthday, Boorum will bring the child to visit. Harrison says of Boorum, a 20-year employee of St. John's Home, “She treats me very well. She's my back-up. She's everything I'm not.”

St. John’s Home currently has ten residents 100 or more years of age. Harrison, like several of the other most “senior” seniors at St. John's, engages in therapeutic recreation activities and enjoys social hour. She looks forward to her cocktail of choice - Scotch on the rocks - daily at 4:00 pm.

St. John's Home is Rochester’s only registered Eden Home, providing a continuum of care for the elderly in Rochester since 1899 as a not-for-profit residential health care facility. Specialty programs include Comfort Care, Rehabilitation, and Alzheimer's/dementia care, as well as long term care, serving a total of 475 residents. St. John's Home also provides services for people who continue to live in their own homes, including Day Break medical and social adult day service programs, and Traditions in Caring, a licensed home health care agency owned in part by St. John's. Affiliated with St. John's Home as part of St. John's Senior Communities are St. John's Meadows and St. John's Foundation.

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