JENNINGS HALL, 10204 Granger Road, began in September 1941. The building was dedicated on March 17, 1942 and opened in Aprirl 1942 to provide a home for elderly persons with small incomes. The home was established from the estate of Msgr. Gilbert P. Jennings (d. 1941), founder of Saint Agnes Catholic Church. Construction began in September 1941. Accommodating sixty-five men and women, the home was operated by the Sisters of the Holy Ghost (after 1968 called the Sisters of the Holy Spirit). Fire destroyed Jennings Hall on February 2, 1946, taking the lives of fourteen residents. Despite an insurance deficit, construction began on a new facility in the fall of 1947 with the help of the CATHOLIC CHARITIES CORP. With accommodations for 106, the new Jennings Hall was dedicated on May 8, 1949. In April 1956 a two-story addition replaced the eight-bed infirmary with a thirty-five-bed nursing facility.
In the 1990s, Jennings Hall expanded its nursing care services and programs. It was funded by the CLEVELAND FOUNDATION, the GEORGE GUND FOUNDATION, and the BRUENING FOUNDATION to undertake special studies of numerous geriatric issues. In September 1995 Jennings Hall opened a completely new facility behind the existing Granger Road complex which had a capacity for 150 residents. Certified for Medicare, Jennings Hall also specialized in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in addition to its primary nursing care functions. In 2006 the institution had 156 beds. At that time Martha Kudic served as the organization's CEO; she took this position in 1991.
See also OLD AGE/NURSING HOMES.