Martha Jefferson House
Living well, together.
At the Martha Jefferson House it is our mission to create a home-like setting
where each person can thrive in community.
The vision of the Martha Jefferson House is to provide a community dedicated to healthy aging that is life-affirming, relational and satisfying – one that maximizes the physical and cognitive ability of the individual.
History
The Martha Jefferson House was built in 1921 and was originally a residence owned by the Wheat family. The house incorporated many features that added to its elegance, including the mantels selected for the two fireplaces in the home, the wallpaper that adorned the walls, and an elevator - which in 1921 was a luxury feature found in very few private residences. The home became known as the “Ackley” house and the street sign of Ackley Lane is still found on the street leading to the circular drive at the entrance of the Martha Jefferson House.
In 1956, the Wheat family sold the home to Hunter Carlyle Perry, a local philanthropist with a vision to establish a retirement home in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Ackley house became the centerpiece of the retirement community with the addition of Hunter’s Way and The Carlyle taking place around 1957. The home was named the Martha Jefferson House to reflect its association with Martha Jefferson Hospital, until becoming independent from the hospital in 2000. The Martha Jefferson House is now an independent non-profit 501(c)3 organization that is operated by our Executive Director and overseen by the Martha Jefferson House Board of Directors.
In 2008, we added on to the Martha Jefferson House with the addition of the Perry Wing. This wing of the home provides more modern and updated one and two-bedroom apartments available with Independent Living and Assisted Living accommodations. The Martha Jefferson House has been providing quality senior living care for over 60 years and still sits tucked away on Ackley Lane right off of Gordon Avenue.
We encourage you to visit the Martha Jefferson House and schedule a tour to see our community and get a feel for if we are the right fit for you! Our team is here to help support you during every step of your decision-making and move-in process! We’ve compiled a few of the frequently-asked-questions that we hear from future residents before making the decision on a community:
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Does the MJHouse offer Memory Care?Martha Jefferson House was not designed to be a memory care facility. While we can accommodate residents with dementia and cognitive impairment, we are not able to care for residents who wander or show signs of aggressive behavior. Our clinical team meets your loved one before the move-in process to better understand their person-centered care plan and if we believe that the Martha Jefferson House will be a community where they can flourish. If you have any questions about providing care for your loved one, we highly encourage you to start a conversation with our Director of Marketing and Development and schedule a tour!
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Does the MJHouse accept Medicare or Medicaid?The Martha Jefferson House is a private-pay senior living community and does not accept Medicare or Medicaid for room and board.
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Is there a large entrance-fee at the MJHouse?No! Martha Jefferson House operates on a fee-for-service model. This means that there is no large upfront entrance fee, just a one-time community fee that is equivalent to first month’s rent in our Independent Living and Assisted Living units, and a flat rate $2,000 for our Long-Term Care Nursing units.
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Will I have to move from my Independent Living apartment once I need assistance?It depends on the level of assistance that will be needed. Martha Jefferson House is a licensed Assisted Living facility throughout our house and we are a licensed Long-Term Care facility in The Carlyle. This means that we can provide Assisted Living accommodations in your apartment, not requiring you to move once you need more care! However, if the level of assistance needed is higher than our Level 4 Assisted Living accommodations, then our Long-Term Care wing is recommended for the best possible care.
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Can my spouse and I live together in the same unit with different levels of care?We do our very best to keep couples together for as long as possible! We believe that aging-in-place as a couple is beneficial to your overall mental and physical health. Give our Director of Marketing and Development a call today to discuss your unique needs to learn more about how we can accommodate aging-in-place as a couple at the Martha Jefferson House!
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Is the MJHouse a skilled nursing facility?No. The Martha Jefferson House is a licensed Assisted Living and Long-Term Care Nursing facility that can provide our residents with intermediate health care accommodations and in-house Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy, but this is billed differently than a skilled-nursing facility. We are a private pay facility and do not accept Medicare Part A (Skilled Nursing Facility Coverage), but we do accept Medicare Part B for therapy services provided in-house. This means that your room and board will be private-pay, your therapy sessions will be billed through Medicare Part B and other supplemental insurance you may have.
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How many residents live at the MJHouse?The Martha Jefferson House is a boutique-style senior living community, which means we are much smaller than other communities that you might visit in the Charlottesville area. We are licensed to care for a total of 84 residents - this would include Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Long-Term Care Nursing residents.
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Can the MJHouse provide respite services?Yes, the Martha Jefferson House can provide respite care services. We encourage you to reach out to our Director of Marketing and Development to discuss your specific respite care needs.