Wednesday, March 11, 2009

By David Eck

DAYTON DEANERY – After 18 months of construction and years of dreams, residents and officials at Mercy Siena Retirement Community were full of smiles as they dedicated the Mary Margaret and Paul R. Naas Wellness Center on Feb. 15.

The 6,000 square foot center is a single story addition to the complex’s assisted living building. It features a lounge, fitness center and will house rehabilitation services. It also includes multi-purpose rooms that can be sized for various events.

“We’re holding all of our classes over there,” said Barbara Kreuzer, director of residential care/marketing at the Mercy Siena.  “Residents are staring to use the machines. It’s really turning out beautifully.”

CT/Eileen Connelly, OSU

About 75-100 people attended the dedication. Marianist Father Thomas Schroer did the blessing.

The center will provide the amenities and programs that will allow residents to the address the illnesses and physical challenges of aging, said John Mauch, Mercy Siena administrator.

The equipment and activities at the center will give residents the opportunity to live longer and healthier lives. Some of the benefits of physical activity include weight control, better sleep, more energy, relief from depression, reduced stress, a stronger immune system, and a lower risk of some diseases.

The center, which officials had been seeking for years, is the legacy of Naas and his late wife, Mary Margaret. The Dayton-area couple, which had no children, donated the money to build the center.

The Naas’, who moved to Mercy Siena in 2003, wanted to leave a gift to the residents of the complex, and after Mary Margaret died in 2004, Paul Naas decided to build the wellness center.

Naas, now in his mid-90s, was among the dignitaries at the dedication. The member of Emmanuel Church in Dayton was also part of the center’s groundbreaking in 2007.

“He was ecstatic,” Kreuzer said. “He had some family that came in.”

Officials are now trying to raise funds for a second phase for the center. That phase will include a pool and other amenities for water therapy, Kreuzer said. There is not yet a timetable for the second phase.