Benjamin Rose Institute Celebrating 100 Years of caring for older adults and those who care for them
1908 Cleveland industrialist Benjamin Rose establishes in his will the Institute bearing his name. Rose s wife, Julia, and their two children predeceased him. With no direct heirs, he left a considerable amount of his fortune to charity. Julia Rose
1909 The all-female Board of Directors, handpicked by Benjamin Rose himself, begins disbursing stipends to the first BRI clients.
1930 As BRI s first executive director, Margaret Wagner adds social work and medical services to the Institute s responsibilities. Margaret Wagner (left) and a friend.
1941 Belford House opens. It is the first of three BRI residential homes for older adults. A Belford House resident enjoys time with some young friends.
1941 BRI sponsors the formation of the Kaffe Klatsche, a forerunner of the Golden Age Centers. The Kaffe Klatsche offers a social outlet for older people. The Ladies Chorus from a Golden Age Center, circa 1970s
1953 The Benjamin Rose Hospital opens. It is one of the first hospitals in the nation devoted to rehabilitation for older adults. Benjamin Rose Hospital
1961 Margaret Wagner House opens. It replaces the three residential homes and is called the most modern nursing home by The Plain Dealer.
1961 BRI establishes a research center, later named the Margaret Blenkner Research Institute after its first director. The center is charged with measuring the needs of older people and their families and evaluating the impact of services. Margaret Blenkner
1969 In response to a landmark study led by Dr. Margaret Blenkner on the effectiveness of home health services, BRI establishes a home aide department.
1971 The Benjamin Rose Library opens. It is one of the few in the nation devoted to geriatrics and gerontology that is affiliated with a health and social service agency.
Late 1970s The BRI Community Services Division establishes several neighborhood offices throughout the city.
1980 BRI research center begins a six-year, NIMHfunded study on the effects of caregiving on the mental health of caregivers. A second study, funded by the US Administration on Aging, investigated the nature and extent of caregiving s stressful effects.
1981 BRI starts its Senior Companion Program. Part of the federal Senior Corps, it is one of the largest SCP programs in the country.
1982 BRI begins providing adult day care services at Margaret Wagner House.
1985 After 77 years of occupancy, BRI moves from the Rose Building, which was sold to Medical Mutual. Built in 1900, the building was at one time known as Rose s Folly because of its location on then-deserted East Ninth Street.
1986 BRI teams up with University Hospitals to form the Fairhill Center for Aging. It is housed in a former marine hospital and later becomes a thriving campus of agencies for older people.
1989 The Mental Health Program, the largest and longest-standing community-based, mental health program for older adults in Cuyahoga County, is formed.
1996 In collaboration with the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, BRI forms a Cleveland PACE (Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) site, Concordia Care. MetroHealth eventually becomes the agency s partner.
1997 Kethley House at Benjamin Rose Place opens as a state-of-the-art nursing facility. Residents of Margaret Wagner House are transferred here. Kethley House ground breaking
2003 The fourth and fifth floors of Margaret Wagner House are renovated as HUD-subsidized apartment units for those aged 62 and older. Ribbon cutting ceremony marking the opening of the Margaret Wagner Apartments
2004 The BRI Call Center opens as part of Cleveland s Access to Benefits Coalition.
2006 Kethley House ceases operations as a nursing home. The third floor is remodeled as BRI office space. The first and second floors are leased to Kindred Hospital, a long-term acute care facility.
2007 The Katz Policy Institute is established in honor of Sidney Katz, MD, BRI s Distinguished Scholar. Dr. Katz is recognized by the U.S. Administration on Aging in honor of the launch of KPI.
2007 BRI partners with MetroHealth, Concordia Care, and VNA Hospice to establish the Senior Health & Wellness Center in the former Deaconess Hospital.
2008 BRI leads the development of the Northeast Ohio Center for Creative Aging. BRI s Dr. Linda Noelker with Susan Perlstein, founder of the National Center for Creative Aging
2008 The Benjamin Rose Institute celebrates its centennial!