BELFAST, Maine — The Deborah Lincoln House formerly known as The Belfast Home for Aged Women has been in Maine for more than 100 years.
Throughout the years its mission has stayed the same: to provide exceptional care for elderly women.
On Saturday, The Deborah Lincoln House held a special celebration to its matrons and residents. Due to COVID-19, the activities and visitors for the residents have been very limited and the matrons have done everything possible to keep the house COVID-19 free. So today, a lobster feast to celebrate them all!
"When I was a little boy three years old, my only memories of my grandmother were to come and visit her on Sunday afternoons, when she was the matron here at the house," says Charlie Prey, the president of the board of directors at The Deborah Lincoln House. "So when I first moved to Belfast in the late 90's, I worked pretty hard to seek out where this was and exactly what it was having not been in the facility for 40 years."
Prey shares he has been on the board of the directors for 20 years. The House is even special to him because of the memories he had there with his own grandmother.
The Deborah Lincoln house is known for giving exceptional care and community involvement to women. The old Victorian home has 6 private bedrooms with private baths, a large living room with a television, computer, and electric fireplace, a dining room where all the meals are served, and a hair salon.
"It is a house, where we give care to elderly women, we've been doing it for over 100 years," says Hilary Small, the administrator at the house. "It's a very special home, not like most assisted living homes."
"The ladies when they move into the facility will gift all of their worldly belongings, in exchange we take care of them for the rest of their life," says Prey.
The Saturday celebration included games, food including lobster, and recognition to all of the matrons and the residents, all of whom have worked hard to keep the home safe.
"It's been really difficult, I think most nursing homes and assisted living facilities are struggling with the same thing we are, isolation is definitely a big deal to our residents," says Small.
"Go to church or walk downtown to do some shopping..you can't do that now," says Diane Davis, a lady that has lived at the house for 3 years now.
Davis says what makes this "home" for her is the companionship and friendship.
"I think its very good to have people who you can talk to and communicate with, rather than living alone," says Davis.
The house currently has three openings.
To learn more about the house and if you are interested in one of their vacancies you can call them at (207) 338-1554 or visit their website at https://deborahlincolnhouse.org/.