Compassionate care at Concordia

When Dan Washburn first visited Concordia at Sumner earlier in his career, he thought it was one of the most beautiful and well-operated facilities he had seen. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘I could never be lucky enough to ever work here,’” he recalls.

Then, seven months ago, he became the community’s administrator.

Dan was born in Washington, D.C., but spent most of his childhood in a different Washington—Washington, Michigan—on acreage that included a barn, rabbits, geese and horses. “We were a close Christian family, and those were the values I learned and try to live by,” he says. 

Dan attended a Christian college, studying religious education with an emphasis on counseling. After meeting and marrying his wife, who grew up in Copley, he moved here 30 years ago and began his career in retirement living communities, serving roles in admissions, marketing and administration.

“Just as I was planning on spending the rest of my career in interim administration—helping communities with admin vacancies—the position at Concordia at Sumner became available and that changed my mind. I have always loved it here.”

Dan says he was especially attracted to Concordia because of the non-profit organization’s mission and values. “These aren’t just words on a document somewhere,” he says. “Everything we do here is seen through the lens of glorifying God, treating people well, and the Golden Rule. I see our senior leadership living this, too. You certainly don’t have to be religious to live or work here, but because of these values, we do tend to attract kind, caring and compassionate people.”

Another key point for Dan—and for potential new residents—is Concordia’s financial leadership. “We’re one of the most financially stable organizations in the United States,” he says. “That comes from good stewardship, and it gives us the confidence to know we can take very good care of our residents for the rest of their lives.”

Active, Healthy Living

Concordia at Sumner features a complete continuum of care—independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing—but that isn’t exactly what Dan is talking about. “Yes, as a resident, you can move easily along the continuum, but we do everything we can to help our residents age in place. We have many activities to help develop and maintain good physical and mental health so residents can stay right where they are for as long as possible.”

Concordia’s activities program is so thoughtful and engaging that Dan doesn’t even like to use the term “activities program.” “That minimizes what we do,” he says. “Our activities are diverse and interesting. Most people will do more here than they would do living on their own. You might go to the symphony or a Guardians game, plus there are so many spaces on campus for large or small gatherings.”

These spaces include a needle nook, bistro, deli, library, and a game depot for cards and billiards. You can even reserve one of these rooms like The Hideaway for a gathering of your own family.

Other amenities include a fitness center, indoor pool and hot tub, the Market Shoppe, hair salon, the full-service Terrace Room Restaurant, a computer center, plus cultural, social and educational activities, transportation to local shopping and medical appointments, and  concierge services.

Concordia at Sumner is located at  970 Sumner Parkway in Copley. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 330-664-1000 or visit ConcordiaAtSumner.org.