Masonic Senior Care Organizations

What Is Freemasonry?

Freemasonry is the largest and oldest fraternal organization in the world. It’s similar to organizations such as Rotary Club, Kiwanis, the Knights of Columbus, and others. As the name implies, its roots stem from a guild of skilled builders in Europe during the Middle Ages.

Today’s Masons aren’t all about building cathedrals though. According to UCLA history professor Margaret Jacob, “Freemasons are a social and philanthropic organization meant to make its members lead more virtuous and socially oriented lives.”1 Freemasons attend meetings at local lodges, fund philanthropic endeavors such as senior communities and children’s homes, and work to improve themselves and their local communities.

Who Is Eligible to Become a Freemason?

Big on brotherhood, most Masonic organizations permit only men to become members. Freemasonry is open to all men of good character who believe in a sole supreme being and who are at least 18 to 25 years old, depending on the lodge’s location. The supreme being can be God, Buddha, or whoever you hold in that position. Masons come from many religious traditions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism.

Women aren’t entirely excluded though. Some masonic lodges and affiliate organizations, such as the Order of the Eastern Star, let women join. It varies from lodge to lodge.

The Masonic Senior Living Tradition

One of the main purposes of Masonry is to provide charity and service. Masons also give to other Masons in need through housing and medical assistance. That’s where Masonic senior living comes in.

Over 100 years ago, Masons saw the need to establish homes for their older members and their wives, widows, and children who needed daily care and could no longer live on their own.

Many of today’s Masonic senior living facilities originated as a charity by Masons for Masons. A few examples include Masonic Pathways of Michigan, which originated in 1891; the Montana Masonic Home, which has provided care to Big Sky state elders since 1907; and the Masonic Home of Florida, which has provided care in the St. Petersburg area since the early 1900s.

Look on just about any Masonic senior living facility website and you’ll see a History page documenting the efforts of that community’s Masons to provide a home for the elderly and infirmed.

Masonic Senior Living Today

The Masonic senior care facilities of a century ago are very different from the ones operating today. Today’s facilities have kept up with senior living trends, including medical and technological innovations, modern amenities, and a wide range of services. Many even serve the general public.

Who Can Live in a Masonic Senior Living Community?

Eligibility requirements for living at Masonic senior living communities or receiving care from Masonic senior care organizations vary among organizations. Some accept applications from the general public, while others restrict eligibility to just Masons and their family members.

You don’t need to be a Mason or be affiliated with Freemasonry to reside at Masonic Villages in Pennsylvania, for example, but the Masonic Villages communities are built around Masonic values.2

Another Masonic senior living organization, Masonic Homes California, handles eligibility differently. Only seniors ages 60 or older who are either a California Master Mason in good standing with all lodges for the past five years or the wife or widow of an eligible California Master Mason can receive services.3

Reach out to the specific Masonic senior living organization that you’re interested in to learn about eligibility requirements. Keep in mind, even if the community accepts non-Masons, Masons are usually given admission priority.

Types of Masonic Senior Care and Senior Living

Not every Masonic senior care organization and senior living community offers the same level  of care, but you can find options across the country that offer the following:

• Assisted living or personal care communities
• Nursing home care
• Home health care
• Hospice care
• Respite care
• Continuing care retirement communities
• Independent living
• Memory care and dementia support services
• Adult day care
• Rehabilitation services

Benefits of Masonic Senior Care

Masons who choose to live in a Masonic senior living community enjoy the benefit of living in a place that upholds their shared values. They may even have an easier time connecting with their peers who are fellow Masons. Many Masonic senior living organizations also offer exclusive benefits to Masons, which may include:

• Discounted monthly rates for Masons and their spouses.
• Reduced application cost.
• Free health screenings, such as hearing tests.
• Waived advance payments for in-home services.
• Priority admission.

Paying for Masonic Senior Care

How you’ll pay for Masonic senior care depends on the level of care you’re receiving, the state that you live in, your insurance, your Mason status, and your financial need.

Insurance: Just like any other senior living organization, Masonic senior care organizations can choose to accept Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance. Long-term care insurance can be used to cover services, too, depending on your policy.

Partial assignment of assets: Some masonic senior living facilities offer a “partial assignment of assets” payment option. Residents assign a percentage of their assets and income to the facility, which are converted to cash and deposited into an account used to pay for care.

Financial assistance programs: Masonic organizations in some states offer financial assistance programs to qualifying Masons and their spouses or widows. For example, the Almoner’s Fund in Kansas gives up to $250 per Mason.4 Others include the PA Masonic Outreach Program, Masonic Assistance of California, and Illinois Masonic Outreach Services. You can do an internet search for “financial assistance programs for masons in [state]” or speak to your local Masonic lodge.

Veterans’ benefits: Qualifying veterans can use VA benefits or other financial assistance programs, such as Aid and Attendance and the Housebound Benefit, to pay for Masonic senior care or senior living. It depends on your benefit package, as well as the type of care you need.

Private pay: You may need to self-pay for your senior care or senior living costs. Private payment options for senior care include savings, retirement account funds, Social Security income, friend and family contributions, reverse mortgages, and home equity loans.

How to Find Masonic Senior Care

If you’re set on spending your later years in a Masonic senior community or want to receive home care services from a Masonic organization, you may not have a ton of options — but finding them is easy since these organizations are well advertised.

Begin your search for a Masonic senior care organization with the following tips:

1.Visit your local Freemason website

Visit the Freemason website associated with your state. In Pennsylvania, for example, it’s the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. To find your local organization, do an internet search for “freemason organization in [state].” Look for a “Charities” or “Outreach” tab to quickly find information about Masonic care organizations in the state.

2. Do an internet search

An internet search is a simple, effective way to see what Masonic senior care organizations are in your state. Use the following search formula: “Masonic [type of senior care] in [your state].” For example: “Masonic assisted living in New Jersey” or “Masonic memory care in Connecticut.”

3. Visit the Masonic Communities and Services Association

The Masonic Communities and Services Association offers a directory of more than 50 Masonic communities, including senior living communities, in the United States. Visit the directory website to see the names, websites, and locations. Here are a few to get you started:

• Masonic Homes in California
• Masonicare Home Health and Hospice in Connecticut
• Masonic Homes in Kentucky
• Masonic Village in New Jersey
• Masonic Care Community in New York
• Masonic Villages in Pennsylvania

Final Thoughts On Masonic Senior Care Communities

For many years, Masons have been giving back to their communities and their own members. Masonic senior homes and senior care is just another way their members are taken care of in later life. Today, many homes have opened their doors to the general public, giving all older adults access to quality care.