"I was in two different nursing homes in Lincoln before I came here, and there's no comparison. When I came to the Masonic Home, I really felt that I had come home."
Applicants may apply for admission one of two financial methods: pay basis or the regular way.
The Regular way has you turn over all their assets to The Nebraska Masonic Home in return for continuing care. Those applying through this method are required to move into the care section, which offers 24-hour nursing care. The Home provides for all of the needs of our residents. The Home will pay any medical costs not covered by the residents' Medicare or supplemental insurance. Residents receive comfortable rooms, well-balanced meals and excellent care. In addition, all necessities are furnished through the store located in The Home. Applicants choosing the regular way method of admission must apply through the Lodge in which they or their husband, brother, father or son held his Masonic membership.
The Nebraska Masonic Home will pay the funeral expenses of any regular way resident that has not made and paid for previous arrangements. Burial will be in Plattsmouth's Oak Hill Cemetery if a lot has not been pre-paid elsewhere.
If previous funeral arrangements have been made in another state, The Home will honor the request. However, the family or admitting lodge must pay all costs associated with the transportation and interment.
The Nebraska Masonic Home has now amended the eligibility for Admission. This is a very exciting move forward for The Masonic Home Board of Trustees and staff.
The expanded guidelines for admission are effective as of October 10, 2006 when the Board of Trustees voted to amend the by-laws. Please share this information with your Masonic Family and encourage anyone with questions concerning admission or eligibility to contact Mary Stapp, Executive Director, at (402) 296-7300.
To be eligible for admission to The Nebraska Masonic Home, an individual must meet the following:
- Admissions for Masons
- Subject to all of the other admission requirements, the applicant must be a Master Mason in good standing.
- If the applicant was raised prior to his attaining the age of 40 years; then such Master Mason must be a member in good standing for at least 5 years next prior to the filing of an application for admission. If the applicant was raised after attaining the age of 40 years; then such Master Mason must be a member in good standing for at least 10 years next prior to the filing of an application for admission.
- If the applicant is a Master Mason from another jurisdiction who has affiliated with a Nebraska Lodge as a dual member or who has transferred his membership from another jurisdiction to a Nebraska Lodge; then such applicant must meet the good standing requirements with at least 5 years of such good standing as a member of a Nebraska Lodge next prior to the filing of an application for admission. Such Master Mason will be credited with his continuous good standing in such other jurisdiction.
- If the applicant is a Master Mason from another jurisdiction who has not affiliated with a Nebraska Lodge as a dual member or who has not transferred his membership from another jurisdiction to a Nebraska Lodge and meets the good standing requirements; then such applicant shall be eligible to apply for the pay basis plan only. At the end of 5 years on the pay basis plan, such Master Mason may be eligible to apply for the regular way plan.
- Meet the financial qualifications as established from time to time by the Board of Trustees.
- Admissions for Female Relatives of Masons
- Be the wife of a Master Mason described in paragraphs 1 (a), (b), or (c) of this Section on Eligibility to Admission, provided, she has been such for a full 5 years next prior to the filing of an application for admission. In the event she has not been the wife of a Master Mason described in paragraphs 1 (a), (b), or (c) of this Section on Eligibility to Admission for a full 5 years next prior to the filing of an application for admission, then she shall be eligible to apply for the pay basis plan only. At the end of a full 5 years of marriage, such wife shall be eligible to apply for the regular way plan.
- Be a widow, of a Master Mason described in paragraphs 1 (a), (b), or (c) of this Section on Eligibility to Admission, provided, she was the wife of such Master Mason at the time of his death and had been such for a full 5 years prior to his death. Such widow shall remain eligible for admission even though she has remarried a non-Mason. The non-Mason spouse shall not be eligible for admission. In the event the deceased Master Mason did not meet the requirements described in paragraphs 1 (a), (b), or (c) or the deceased Master Mason was raised in another jurisdiction as described in 1 (d) of this Section on Eligibility to Admission, then such widow shall be eligible to apply for the pay basis plan only. At the end of 5 years on the pay basis plan, such widow shall be eligible to apply for the regular way plan.
- Be the mother, sister, daughter, grandmother or granddaughter of a Master Mason described in paragraphs 1 (a), (b), or (c) of this Section on Eligibility to Admission.
- Be the wife, widow, mother, sister, daughter, grandmother, or granddaughter of a Master Mason described in paragraph 1 (d) of this Section on Eligibility to Admission. Such wife, widow, mother, sister, daughter, grandmother, or granddaughter shall be eligible to apply for the pay basis plan only. At the end of five years on the pay basis plan, such wife, widow, mother, sister, daughter, grandmother, or granddaughter shall be eligible to apply for the regular way plan.
- A divorced wife or a divorced widow of a Master Mason described in paragraphs 1 (a), (b), (c), or (d) of this Section on Eligibility to Admission shall not be eligible for admission.
- Miscellaneous Admission Requirements
- Applicants for admission to The Nebraska Masonic Home must be based on membership in a Nebraska Lodge A.F. & A.M. or such Grand Lodge Jurisdiction recognized by the Most Worshipful, the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Nebraska. Eligibility can only be predicated upon membership in those Masonic Bodies described in this paragraph.
- The Board of Trustees by unanimous vote of members present at any regular meeting may admit others who may not meet all of the requirements, but who have or may become a charge on the Most Worshipful, the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Nebraska.
- All applicants to be eligible for admission must be of good character, be free from unmanageable psychiatric disorders, be free of contagious or infectious diseases, be of temperate habits, and not be addicted to the use of narcotics or liquors.
- Any person admitted under a concealment or misrepresentation of facts, or whose personal habits and conduct are such as to endanger the discipline of The Home or disturb the peace and comfort of other residents or whose mental or physical condition shall become such as to render his or her further stay in The Home undesirable, by order of the Board of Trustees, such person may be dismissed. The Lodge which procured such admission shall promptly, on notice of the Board's action, remove such resident at its expense.
- Eligibility for admission for any Master Mason or his female relative to The Nebraska Masonic Home is dependent on The Nebraska Lodge A.F. & A.M. to which such Master Mason belongs or the Grand Lodge jurisdiction recognized by the Most Worshipful, the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Nebraska to which such Master Mason belongs, ultimately being responsible for the applicant's expenses in the event The Nebraska Masonic Home experiences financial difficulties.
Regular Way admittance to The Home requires that the applicant assign all assets to The Nebraska Masonic Home. On a monthly basis residents assign their monthly income to the Home in return for full medical, personal, and financial care.
The Home does not participate in any government funding programs. The additional funds required for our Regular Way residents is received through the Nebraska Masonic Home Foundation. The area someone resides in after they are approved depends on their personal wishes and their medical and mental assessment.
The following information is given to you relative to the expanded service of The Nebraska Masonic Home.
The pay-basis program in no way changes the Board's policy of providing aid, care, and maintenance to needy and distressed Freemasons, their wives, widows, mothers, sisters, daughters, grandmothers, or granddaughters.
PAY-BASIS PROGRAM
The Masonic Homes pay-basis program consists of providing assisted living apartment unit living, assisted living center services, 24-hour nursing care facilities, and Alzheimer's/dementia special care unit; all these services are available on this program.
RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING
Residential apartments units are designed as retirement apartments. In an apartment a resident can have as much freedom as he/she has been accustomed to having at home. Apartment residents are not restricted in their activities and may come and go as they please.
In order to be eligible for an apartment, an applicant must be capable of living safely in this environment. In addition, Assisted-Living services are offered at a fee-per-service for apartment residents who may require assistance with certain daily personal care needs.
Independent/Assisted living may help to prolong independence and give greater security.
Three meals a day are furnished in the dining room of The Home. The following conveniences are also available:
- Assisted Living Apartment/Unit
- Building Security
- Nurses available 24 hours a day for emergency nursing care
- Monthly wellness screening (includes blood pressure, weight check, and meds review)
- Three nutritious meals every day plus availability of snacks
- Scheduled weekly housekeeping
- All utilities except telephone
- Cable TV
- Activities as scheduled
- Access to coin-operated washers and dryers
- Telephone access provided (resident or responsible party is responsible for payment of all charges incurred)
- Use of all common areas
- Individual Service Agreement reviewed monthly
- Transportation to medical and personal appointments
- Recreational facilities and activities
FURTHER INFORMATION
Please feel free to contact us for further information or to schedule a tour of our fine facility. Mary C. Stapp, Executive Director, will be glad to answer any questions you may have concerning admittance to The Home or our facilities.