The story of Cedarbrook began in 1844, when the Lehigh County Commissioners declared the need for a working farm and home for those that were poor and/or elderly. At the time Lehigh County residents recognized a need to care for those that were unable to sustain themselves. The first home was constructed in 1845. The self-sustaining working farm component of the Cedarbrook property began to phase out in the 1930s, although some aspects of agriculture on the Cedarbrook property may have lasted into the 1950s. The mission of caring for the frail and those without financial resources continued.
The current Cedarbrook Allentown original wings have roots in the 1920s, with a subsequent addition, the “D-Wing” tower, completed in 1970. Fountain Hill Manor was purchased by Lehigh County in 1974, and was subsequently called “the Annex” and now is properly referred to as “Cedarbrook Fountain Hill.” Both campuses of Cedarbrook are licensed by the state under one license, and as such over the years both campuses have been referred to as Cedarbrook, sharing staff, contracts, equipment, technology, and services. The County has always been proud to maintain two Cedarbrook campuses to serve both ends of the County.
Cedarbrook has evolved quite a bit since 1844 in terms of social norms, technology, and care systems. Today, Cedarbrook is a full-fledged modern skilled nursing facility providing high quality of care with documented success in skilled nursing care, rehabilitation outcomes, vibrant dementia care programming, and continued recognition of the need to care for our residents in their entirety as people, not as numbers. While some facilities have the goal of profit, Cedarbrook simply has the goal of quality resident care.
Lehigh County continues to make a commitment to our residents through an active plan to build a completely modern 240 bed wing with extensive amenities at Cedarbrook Allentown and continued investments in the physical plant of Cedarbrook Fountain Hill to provide the very best experience for our residents and staff. And most importantly, Cedarbrook recognizes the need to continue Lehigh County’s tradition of recognizing that everybody deserves care and dignity at every stage of life. At one point Cedarbrook was known as the “poor house.” Today Cedarbrook is known as top notch skilled nursing facility with highly dedicated employees and technology that rivals many facilities in long-term care providing care to people from all walks of life.
