Diakon Senior Living operations and its four continuing care retirement / life plan communities officially became part of Lutheran Senior Services on Monday. The action marks the completion of an agreement signed in March.
LSS ranked 15th in the country on the 2023 LeadingAge Ziegler 200 list of largest not-for-profit multi-site senior living and care organizations, with a total of 3,446 units. On the same list, Diakon claimed the No. 64 spot, with 1,236 units. With the addition of Diakon’s operations and senior living communities, St. Louis-based LSS would rank 12th on the 2023 LZ 200.
The combined organization has annual revenues estimated at $360 million and includes 12 CCRCs, one assisted living community and nine affordable senior housing communities, as well as home- and community-based services across three states: Illinois, Missouri and Pennsylvania. The Keystone State is a new place of operation for LSS.
“Expanding our footprint and operations beyond Missouri and Illinois is an important step for LSS, as it helps us further our mission of Older Adults Living Life to the Fullest,” LSS President and CEO Adam Marles stated Monday. “By closing on this agreement, LSS is continuing to create places, services and opportunities for people to age well, with purpose and fulfillment.”
The combined organization now employs more than 3,500 people and serves 5,300 residents and additional older adults through HCBS. Altogether, the organizations will serve almost 15,000 older adults, LSS said.
For the second year in a row, all eight of LSS’ CCRCs earned “Best” ratings in the 2024 US News & World Report’s senior living ratings program, results of which were released in April.
“As we warmly welcome Diakon’s residents and team members into the LSS family, we are looking towards the future,” Marles said. “Together as one, we will continue to build community, trust and belonging. We will learn from each other to deepen our services and offerings to meet the current and future needs of older adults.”
