JEFFERSON TWP — One hundred and thirty years ago, Concordia Lutheran Ministries started as a farm that took in orphaned children.

Now, its staff of 1,600 serve adults throughout the Pittsburgh region from Butler to the South Hills and to Plum to the east.

Keith Frndak, Concordia's president and CEO, said from 1881, when the Oertel family gave their 46-acre farm to ministers, who opened the Evangelical Lutheran Concordia Home for Orphans and the Aged, to the present, Concordia's mission has never changed.

“We serve people in a Christian manner with respect. That is what we have always done and what we will always do,” Frndak said Thursday.

While the ministry served adults who needed nursing home care until the late 1980s in the brick buildings of the orphanage and nursing home along Route 356, things have been changing ever since.

Frndak said Concordia's board in the 1980s noticed that more senior adults lived alone with their children or relatives in other communities or states.

Board members also noticed changes in health care and predicted that being able to offer stages of care to Concordia residents would allow the ministry to help more people as they got older.

That began Concordia's building and buying boom Butler County residents have seen in the past 20 years.

Another example of that occurred Wednesday when Concordia announced it had bought Sunset at Cranberry and Sunset at FoxChapel, Allegheny County.

From independent living apartments to hospice care, Concordia now allows residents to move through the campus in the later years of their lives, not having to change who their caretakers are and how care is being delivered, Frndak said.

“What is nice for both residents and their families, is that we can get to know people and find ways to help them financial continue to live here and to receive treatment here,” he said, adding that the independent ministry can adjust to changes in Medicare and Medicaid or in other public programs faster than other organizations.

“Affordability was another factor our board took into consideration when we began growing the continuum in the 1990s,” Frndak said.

He said most adult communities with such a health care continuum “cater to the top 5 percent to 15 percent wealthiest people. But we wanted to help those who fit in the 60-to-75 percentile.”

One way the ministry has been able to accomplish this is through buying or establishing community health care businesses, such as home health care nursing staff or skilled care facilities.

Concordia now has eight short-term and long-term nursing facilities, including Concordia of Cranberry and Concordia of Fox Chapel, the new names of the facilities it just bought.

The organization also offers adult day services, home care, hospice, medical equipment rentals and sales, assisted living, rehabilitation services, retirement living and outpatient services, which are open to the community at large.

As for the outpatient services, Frndak said Concordia has a long relationship with the Butler Health System in Butler, but also has relationships with ACMH Hospital in Kittanning, the Alle-Kiski Medical Center in Natrona Heights, and UPMC facilities.

Frndak said Concordia plans to keep growing, as the opportunity arises and needs are found.

To this end, Concordia about five years ago bought the 500-acre Saxon Horse Farm in Saxonburg, and bought another 100-plus acres last year on Route 356 in Winfield Township.

“We have plans, but the economic crisis had us put those plans on hold. We will get to them, but we will not spend our entire capital fund to get them done, so we'll wait until the time is right,” he said.

“We will grow, and I might not be around to see the horse farm developed, but I know our board will make sure what we do honors our mission: to help people in need.”

Here are the facilities owned and operated by Concordia Lutheran Ministries of Jefferson Township.<B>Concordia at Cabot</B>This is Concordia's original and main campus on Marwood Road in Jefferson Township. It is 167 acres with retirement living apartments, outpatient, short-term and long-term skilled nursing care, a rehabilitation center, a 10-bed hospice and administrative offices.<B>Concordia at The Orchard</B>Near Clearview Mall in Center Township, this is a 60-bed personal care facility.<B>Concordia at Rebecca Residence</B>In Allison Park, Allegheny County, this facility has 65 personal care beds and 60 skilled nursing-rehabilitation beds.<B>Concordia at Ridgewood Place</B>This facility in Plum, Allegheny County, is licensed for 75 personal care beds.<B>Good Samaritan Hospice</B>The hospice in Wexford has six beds for patients who need around the clock care.<B>Concordia at South Hills</B>This facility covers 19 acres in Mount Lebanon, Allegheny County, with retirement living, skilled nursing-rehabilitation services, personal care and home care.<B>Concordia at Cranberry</B>A new facility just bought by Concordia, this personal care home with 84 beds is at the entrance of Adams Ridge.<B>Concordia at Fox Chapel</B>A new facility just bought by Concordia, this memory care center in Cheswick, Allegheny County, has 58 beds.Source: Concordia Lutheran Ministries