Shorewood Senior Campus
About Us
If you are looking for 55+ senior living at its best, come learn more about us at Shorewood Senior Campus in Rochester, MN. Shorewood has senior living options for residents of all activity and care levels, from our independent senior apartments to assisted living and Reflections dementia care. Our senior campus is one of the most desirable retirement communities in the Rochester area, with gorgeous grounds and incredible amenities. We offer step-up levels of care for seniors who want to stay as independent as possible. Our residents and their families can rest assured we have the care they will need in a caring, vibrant senior community. Shorewood Senior Campus is conveniently located off MN-HWY 52 on 2nd Street SW in Rochester near Byron, Kasson, Pine Island, Stewartville, and Zumbrota.
Senior Apartment Living at its Finest
Shorewood Senior Campus in Rochester is managed by SilverCrest Properties, and it is considered one of the premier senior living communities in southern Minnesota. There are a wide range of apartment living options for seniors. We offer a choice of spacious 1-bedroom, 1-bedroom/den, 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom apartments in independent living. We provide studio, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments in assisted living and dementia care. Shorewood Senior Campus is close to one of the best medical facilities in the country – Mayo Clinic – and nearby Saint Marys Hospital, with quick access to shopping and dining in downtown Rochester.
Exceptional Senior Care for Peace of Mind
People come to Shorewood Senior Campus in Rochester, MN, for more than its beautiful setting; they come to our vibrant community to relax in spacious apartment homes with many comfortable amenities right outside their doors. They come for engaging activities that challenge the mind and foster physical and spiritual wellness. Most of all, they come for peace of mind, knowing the care they need is here when they need it. To learn more about Shorewood Senior Campus and all we have to offer, contact our office in Rochester to schedule a tour.
Our Vision
“Our caring, compassionate staff coupled with engaging activities and topnotch amenities makes Shorewood a premier senior community. Our goal is to improve the lives of each resident with dynamic programs created around the seven dimensions of wellness. Cascade Lake Park, nestled in Shorewood’s backyard, offers beautifully manicured trails, landscaped gardens, a water feature and green space.
Shorewood’s wellness center promotes an active lifestyle with senior-focused exercise classes, TechnoGym equipment, and a therapeutic, warm-water lap pool. We encourage socialization and participation in educational and recreational activities so residents can foster new relationships with their neighbors and Shorewood staff.”
– J.A. Wedum Foundation
Management Team
Karen LaFee
Executive Director
Karen LaFee
Executive Director
What sparked your desire to work in a senior living community?
Working with people of all ages and in all phases of their life is the career path I have been on. For a number of decades, I worked with young families and adults of all ages. As my parents aged, we began searching senior housing for them, and I knew that this next stage of family life is where I wanted to use my leadership skills. My love and knowledge of supporting others in their lives and assisting them with finding purpose in each day helped me focus my career.
Did you go through any special training or education that helps with your current role?
I completed my undergraduate and graduate classes at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, with an emphasis on leadership and management. Education provided me the technical skills. However, the education I gained the most from was the years in the hospital setting at Mercy Medical Center. Working with a board of directors, city and county organizations helped me see the need to support individuals at every phase of their life. I gained leadership and communication skills, and an empathy for those that I was working for and with.
What is the best part of your workday?
At Shorewood, every day is different. The connections with residents and their families and hearing their stories is so special.
What makes your community stand out from your competition?
Shorewood stands out because of the residents we serve and the mission of our company: “Residents First” and our culture of RESPECT. It is the daily support our team provides to residents. Shorewood is their home, and we want it to feel that way.
More About Karen…
I am an Iowa girl and a preacher’s daughter, so I found home in every community we lived in. Those moves taught me that home is not about the structure you live in, but the people you surround yourself with and the connections you make. I learned the value of hard work walking beans and detasseling corn. I grew up in a home where service to others was important and demonstrated, and that inspired me to work with people.
I have 3 grown children (2 that are married) and 5 grandchildren. I love traveling, history, crafting, reading, church, and in the summers, I camp which allows me to get away with family and friends.
A guide for me has been the book “The Four Agreements.” It gives me great perspective.
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?
While living in Northern Iowa I started and funded a four-county program for families and children through Mercy Medical Center. It was funded fully through grant writing. Thirty years later, that program is still thriving even though I have moved on.
I have spent most all my professional career working in non-profits, and through that have learned to have a credible voice in decision making, finding strategies that have fiscally smart outcomes along with meeting the needs of the business. The non-profit world inspires action and creativity, and creativity increases partnerships and outcomes.
Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I would have gone into nursing but focused my desire to assist others in another direction.
Name a few of your daily habits.
I start with a cup or 2 or more of coffee, my daily devotional, and then review and add to my list of items to complete. I find time to reflect and review each item completed. I also take time for a walk at the end of each day when possible.
What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working?
Spending time with family and friends; my grandchildren are a joy. I volunteer in the community and in my church. And I enjoy a good book and a campfire.
Tell us one thing about yourself that would surprise your residents?
I have a great love for musicals. The King and I and Brigadoon are two of my favorites. I enjoy the classics of Music Man, My Fair Lady, and any Disney movie. I have been to Disney World more times than I should mention and have been to Disneyland about the same. I enjoy all aspects of Disney and the experience of being there.
Amberly Arndt
Director of Clinical Services
Amberly Arndt
Director of Clinical Services
What sparked your desire to work with seniors?
When I was young, I spent a great deal of time with my great-grandmother in the hospital. I would hold her hand when the nurses were starting IVs and be her cheerleader when she was learning to walk with her prosthetic leg. Also, I was raised by my grandparents and my other great-grandmother lived three doors away.
What special training/education do you have that helps you in your current role?
I started out as a nursing assistant, then obtained my LPN, then received my 2-year RN degree and then received my 4-year BSN. I have worked in the hospital and nursing home and I think that working my way up in degrees has given me an appreciation for all levels of the health care team.
What are the most important qualities or factors someone should look for when searching for an assisted living community to provide care for themselves or someone they love?
Watch the staff. Do they smile and greet other residents by name? Do they appear happy? What do they offer for services and activities? What is their limit to services?
What is the best part of your workday?
When I get to visit with the residents.
More About Amberly…
I have been married for 32 years, have three grown children and one grandchild (would love to have more). I was raised in Oronoco, lived in Rochester and now live in Pine Island. (I haven’t wandered too far). I love to spend time with my family, crochet, and work out in the yard.
How do you spend weekends?
During the summer, we camp on the weekends I am not on call. In the winter, I am a homebody and do more inside repairs or touch ups.
Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I have wanted to be a nurse since I was little and nothing else. (Okay, there was a brief time I wanted to be a cop, but I am afraid of guns.)
Name a few of your daily habits.
Get up early, get to work, go home after work. I like to play puzzle games, and that helps unwind from work.
What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working?
Spending time with my family, spending time outside (except for winter) and doing craft projects.
Ellie Starks
Marketing Director
Ellie Starks
Marketing Associate
What does your job entail?
I have the pleasure of working with seniors and their families as they consider moving to housing that fits their needs. It’s unfamiliar territory, so they need a guide who will help them navigate the options and make the best choices. I give tours and help promote our campus to the community.
What sparked your desire to work in a senior living community?
In my early career, I completed a semester-long program at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Maine. My focus was a small retirement home for women. I spent 20 days with them, logging their lives, interviewing, observing, and writing. That was the spark. I’ve always had an affinity for and comfort with seniors.
Did you go through any special training or education that helps with your current role?
Before my Maine experience, I earned a writing degree from Wartburg College. Wartburg’s mission is to prepare students for lives of leadership and service. I took that to heart.
What is the best part of your workday?
Continuing conversations and relationships with residents, and talking with prospective families about how Shorewood can make their lives easier/better/more comfortable/more fun/less worrisome. And I love laughing with my coworkers.
What is your favorite resident memory or story?
During our annual Elegant Dinner, residents dress up, and the entire staff stays late to serve cocktails and a special dinner. There is live music and dancing. Singing and clapping. Smiling and laughing. Shorewood hums like a party where every resident is the guest of honor.
What makes your community stand out from your competition?
We live the “residents first” motto. And residents here are wonderful and welcoming to newcomers.
More About Ellie…
I believe in saying yes to opportunities. In doing so, the world opens up, giving us a new experience and the confidence to say yes to the next opportunity. Pretty soon, we can look back and see the wonderful path we’ve taken. I have a wonderful husband and family, a job I love, and hobbies that fulfill me.
How do you spend weekends?
Rescuing dogs. I am the Upper Midwest coordinator for a national springer spaniel rescue. I also often perform with my French horn, which I’ve played since I was 10.
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?
I never miss a chance to dance the Electric Slide.
Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A writer. The seeds of our passions are planted in childhood. I followed that writing passion and today am the publisher and editor of my own magazine, The Wagazine.
Name a few of your daily habits.
My day starts and ends with my dogs; they’re on a routine that I cannot deviate from!
Tell us one thing about yourself that would surprise your residents?
My full name is Ellington, after a 1970s television character. Most of my wardrobe is from thrift stores. I play softball every week in the summer. And I can still hit a triple!
Sheila Walsh
Wellness Director
Sheila Walsh
Wellness Director
What does your job entail?
I am responsible for providing our community’s wellness education and classes. I manage The Club, maintain the pool, and organize personal training on land, in the pool, or in our underwater treadmill. I enjoy providing residents with personalized wellness assessments and health coaching to help them decide what wellness path best suits their needs.
What sparked your desire to work in a senior living community?
When I started college, I had the joy of living with my grandfather. That experience showed me how my passion for wellness could help improve the quality of life for others and helped me feel very connected to seniors.
Did you go through any special training or education that helps with your current role?
I started my professional wellness journey with a Bachelor of Science Degree – Exercise and Rehabilitative Science: Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, from Winona State University. My certifications include:
- American College of Sports Medicine; Certified Exercise Physiologist
- National Society of Health Coaches; Certified Health Coach
- American Heart Association CPR and First Aid Instructor
- Certified Yoga Fit Instructor
- Tai Ji Quan: Moving for better balance instructor
- Certified Pool Operator
Wellness is ever evolving, and I continue to seek out educational opportunities to ensure that The Club at Shorewood is providing our residents with the best knowledge we can.
What is the best part of your workday?
I love seeing residents work hard and improve. Whether it be psychological or physical improvement, seeing people light up is what drives me to work hard every day. I tell people I often see the improvement before they do.
What is your favorite resident memory or story?
Sometimes when I ask individuals with dementia to do an exercise with me, they tell me I am crazy for thinking they would do that. Once I convince them to join in, they like it and are impressed that they can do it.
What sets your programming apart from the competition?
Shorewood Senior Campus has the energy and feeling of being home like no other community I have worked with. The atmosphere is inviting, with amazing staff that enjoy working here as much as I do. It all makes it easy to come to work.
Why does The Club at Shorewood stand out among other fitness centers?
Our exercise classes are taught by a live instructor. We created the Encompass program to assess strength, endurance, coordination, agility, balance, and motivation to give Club members a wellness benchmark. We provide personal training on land, in our 19-meter therapy pool, or in our underwater treadmill. Both pools are 90° F.
More About Sheila…
How do you spend weekends?
With my family. My sons were born in 2014 and 2017. We like to work and play outside in the summer gardening, hiking, and being on the water.
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?
I love to create things. I can build, saw, quilt, grow plants, and make amazing things to eat.
Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?
In first grade I decided I wanted to be a veterinarian. I did everything I could to groom myself for that career, even working at Predmore Vet Clinic for 5. When was waiting to hear back about my application for vet school, I found exercise science and fell in love.
Tell us one thing about yourself that would surprise your residents?
My mother-in-law and I had the same name: Sheila Marie Walsh. One of my favorite things to do is wine and cider tasting.
Laurie Campion
Resident Services Director
Laurie Campion
Resident Services Director
What does your job entail?
I am the primary customer service representative to residents and families. I help residents and families when they find they are in the position of needing more services.
What sparked your desire to work in a senior living community?
I am a caregiver by nature. When my mom moved to Shorewood many years ago, I was struck with the level of happiness at Shorewood of both residents and staff. When the stars aligned, I found myself working happily at Shorewood.
Did you go through any special training or education that helps with your current role?
I worked in Shorewood’s memory care for more than a decade, so already being a Shorewood employee definitely helped! Also helpful was knowing Shorewood and its residents, and understanding how the departments work together for the better of the residents.
How do residents and their families know it is time to consider moving to get additional services?
When they find they are relying on others more often for daily living. That’s when it’s time to take a serious and honest look at oneself. There are family members who do not realize how burnt out they are until they get sick themselves or crave going on a vacation without worrying about mom or dad. Once a move has been made, I often hear from family how nice it is to be back to being a son or daughter again, as opposed to a caregiver.
What is the best part of your workday?
I enjoy every aspect of my position, even when it entails difficult conversations because I know I am helping someone travel a new path that may be scary, sad or overwhelming. We walk through with the resident and family what to expect so they can make informed decisions.
What is your favorite resident memory or story?
Oh my, I have so many of them! Years ago, a resident by the name of Joyce would repeat the following, which I will probably remember forever: “The sun is shining to welcome the day, with a heigh-ho! come to the fair, maidens and men, come to the fair in the morning.”
What makes your community stand out from your competition?
The entire Shorewood/Comfort Health team at Shorewood. We work TOGETHER to have a safe, clean and fun environment for our residents and families.
More About Laurie…
I’m from Minnesota; we don’t talk about ourselves.
How do you spend weekends?
Hanging out with my husband. I can’t remember what I used to do pre-COVID.
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?
Not really. I feel everyone can be good at whatever they set their mind on doing.
Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I wanted to be a shopkeeper. I did own a children’s used clothing store years ago (using my marketing degree), but once I was there, I found it wasn’t my dream. I am happiest around the young and the old.
Name a few of your daily habits.
Coffee in the morning, whiskey at night
What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working?
Organizing, crafting, sitting outside with my husband as long as he doesn’t talk a lot.
Tell us one thing about yourself that would surprise your residents?
I’m an introvert I tend to energize when I have alone time.
Jeff Johnson
Dining Services Director
Jeff Johnson
Dining Services Director
What sparked your desire to work in a senior living community?
I grew up with my dad as a chef at a senior living community for 30 years. I was 17 when I decided I wanted to be a Dining Services Director for my career.
Did you go through any special training or education that helps with your current role?
I received a degree in Business Management from Rochester Community and Technical College. The food aspect I decided to learn hands on. I’ve done every position available in the industry at one time or another, from dishwasher to sous chef.
What is the best part of your workday?
Interacting with the residents and learning more about them and the amazing lives that they have lived.
What makes your community stand out from your competition?
Our staff. It’s a great big family who wants to work hard to make the lives of the residents the best that they can be.
More About Jeff…
I’m the happy husband of my wife of 20 years, Laura, and the father of four beautiful children: Alayna 18, Aiden 15, Hailey 13, and Lucas 6. We have two puppies, a Maltese named Teddy and a Maltipoo named Tater Tot. We live between Oronoco and Mazeppa on a 5-acre hobby farm.
I’ve grown up in the food service industry. For 30 years, my father was a chef at Charter House Retirement Center here in Rochester. I started my career at Charter House when I was 16 and waited on tables in Sky View Dinning on the 22nd floor. I met my wife while working there!
How do you spend weekends?
Hanging with the family, camping, hiking, and doing work around the “farm.”
What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working?
Spending time with family and seeing the kids grow up and try new things.
Tell us one thing about yourself that would surprise your residents?
I collect Pyrex casserole dishes. I have over 300 pieces.
Kathy Myran
Administrative Services Director
Kathy Myran
Administrative Services Director
What does your job entail?
Hiring and supervision of the front desk staff, processing of resident billing, management and collection of accounts receivable, assist with various financial tasks, assist with administrative duties and manage HR needs on campus.
What sparked your desire to work in a senior living community?
21 years ago I just wanted a job and started with Shorewood as a housekeeper for a short time, transferred to Reception and stayed in that position for 18 years. I found that I really enjoyed working with seniors and listening to their stories and daily life.
Did you go through any special training or education that helps with your current role?
No. I’ve been to school for Travel and Phlebotomy.
What is the best part of your workday?
Laughing with residents and coworkers.
What makes your community stand out from your competition?
OUR STAFF!
More About Kathy…
I grew up in Wanamingo, MN. I have 1 younger brother, a son and 3 nephews. Life really changed a year ago when my mother passed away. I am now the caretaker for my father.
How do you spend weekends?
After getting all the household chores done every Saturday morning I really enjoy long walks in the woods or just sitting by a lake or at home on my patio with a good book.
Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I wanted to be either a cruise ship attendant or a flight attendant. When I graduated from high school, I did go on to train for these particular careers, but when I became pregnant with my son, I decided to stick with being a travel agent so I could be closer to home.
What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working?
Reading and relaxing!
Tell us one thing about yourself that would surprise your residents?
I’m very introverted.
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