Every family has a story.
Some stories begin with a building. Some begin with an idea. Others begin with a family recognizing that care can — and should — be done differently.
The story of Generations Senior Living reaches back more than 60 years and spans generations of a family committed to caring for others. This year, during National Assisted Living Week 2026, that history feels particularly meaningful.
National Assisted Living Week is celebrated September 13–19, 2026, and this year’s national theme is “Shining Through the Years.”
At Generations, we couldn’t think of a more fitting theme.
Because while we celebrate the residents who have spent decades building families, careers, communities, traditions, and memories, we are also celebrating an incredible milestone of our own:
Generations Senior Living of Strongsville is celebrating 25 years of excellence.
Twenty-five years of residents.
Twenty-five years of families.
Twenty-five years of employees walking through those doors and becoming part of something bigger.
Twenty-five years of celebrations, friendships, meals shared around tables, music, laughter, difficult days, wonderful days, and countless stories.
And behind those 25 years is an even longer Generations family history.
What Is National Assisted Living Week?
National Assisted Living Week was established by the National Center for Assisted Living in 1995 as an opportunity to recognize the important role assisted living communities play in caring for America’s seniors and individuals with disabilities.
The celebration brings together residents, families, employees, volunteers, and surrounding communities to recognize not only the care provided within assisted living, but also the relationships and communities created there.
National Assisted Living Week traditionally begins on Grandparents Day and continues through the following Saturday.
The 2026 theme, “Shining Through the Years,” encourages assisted living communities across the country to honor the impact residents, families, caregivers, and senior living professionals have made throughout the years.
For us, that message hits home.
Generations has been “shining through the years” long before our communities carried the Generations Senior Living name.
What Is Assisted Living?
To understand why we celebrate assisted living, it helps to understand what assisted living was created to accomplish.
Assisted living fills an important space between living completely independently and requiring the level of medical care provided by a skilled nursing facility.
The philosophy behind assisted living is centered on something that remains incredibly important today:
Provide assistance where it is needed while preserving independence wherever possible.
Modern assisted living began developing as families and healthcare professionals looked for alternatives to traditional institutional models of long-term care.
Historical accounts of the profession point to the early 1980s as an important period in the development of the modern assisted living model. These communities were designed around a different idea — that older adults could receive support while still maintaining privacy, choice, dignity, and a home-like environment.
But here in Northeast Ohio, the Coury family’s work toward that philosophy had already begun.
The Generations Story Begins in 1965
Long before Generations Senior Living of Berea and Generations Senior Living of Strongsville became the communities we know today, there was Robert M. Coury and his brothers.
In 1965, Robert M. Coury and his brothers purchased their first nursing home.
That decision would become the beginning of a family legacy in healthcare that has continued for more than six decades.
Robert wasn’t simply interested in operating healthcare facilities. He believed in developing programs that responded to needs he saw within the community.
Throughout his more than 35 years in long-term care, he became known for innovation, advocacy, and a willingness to challenge the way care had traditionally been delivered.
And some of that work was remarkably ahead of its time.
A Pioneer in Long-Term Care
In 1975, Robert Coury established the first pediatric unit within a nursing home setting, serving children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and complex healthcare needs.
Then, in the mid-1970s, Robert and his brothers recognized another gap.
There were individuals who needed some support but did not require traditional nursing-home care.
They needed something more independent.
The Coury family developed an early assisted living center in this region, helping introduce a model of care that gave individuals another option along the healthcare continuum.
Think about what that means.
Assisted living as we recognize it today was still developing as a concept nationally.
Yet the philosophy that continues to guide Generations — supporting people while maintaining their independence — was already influencing the Coury family’s approach to care.
That philosophy wasn’t a marketing slogan.
It was part of the family’s work decades before Generations Senior Living existed in its present form.
Innovation Didn’t Stop There
Robert continued looking for areas where the healthcare system could better meet people’s needs.
In 1985, he opened what the Ohio Health Care Association describes as the first and largest subacute ventilator program in the state at that time.
He also advocated at the state level for seniors, individuals with disabilities, their families, and healthcare providers.
Robert served within professional healthcare organizations and believed strongly that providers needed to advocate together to improve services, expand choices, and create appropriate funding for the individuals they served.
His contribution to long-term care was later formally recognized by the Ohio Health Care Association, which honored Robert M. Coury with its Pioneer Award.
But perhaps the most important part of his legacy wasn’t a building, program, or award.
It was the philosophy behind them.
Compassion.
Innovation.
Education.
Independence.
Dignity.
And family.
A Second Generation Carries the Story Forward
Robert passed away in 2002, but the story didn’t end there.
Today, Generations Senior Living remains proudly second-generation family-owned and operated.
Robert’s children continued the work their father began, carrying forward the values he established decades earlier.
Today, the Generations executive leadership includes members of that second generation, continuing a family commitment to senior care that began with Robert and his brothers in 1965.
That continuity matters.
Senior living has changed tremendously over the past six decades.
Residents’ expectations have changed.
Healthcare has changed.
Technology has changed.
Regulations have changed.
Buildings have changed.
What families expect from assisted living has changed.
But some things shouldn’t change.
People still want to be treated with dignity.
They still want choices.
They still want independence.
They still want to be known as a person rather than a room number.
And families still want to know that when they leave after visiting Mom or Dad, someone who genuinely cares is still there.
25 Years of Excellence in Strongsville
This year, one chapter of the Generations story deserves a very special celebration.
Generations Senior Living of Strongsville is celebrating 25 years of excellence.
Twenty-five years is an extraordinary milestone.
During those years, thousands of moments have unfolded inside one community.
Residents have celebrated birthdays and anniversaries.
Families have welcomed grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Friendships have formed between people who may never have met otherwise.
Residents have gathered for meals, holidays, happy hours, games, outings, worship, music, exercise, celebrations, and quiet conversations.
Employees have started jobs and discovered careers.
Some employees have spent years building relationships with residents and families until “staff” no longer felt like the appropriate word.
They became family.
Today, Generations Senior Living of Strongsville continues to reflect the philosophy on which the Coury family’s work was built: creating a place where support is available while residents continue living life on their own terms.
Strongsville offers independent and assisted living in an environment designed around connection and quality of life. Residents can participate in day trips, fitness and wellness programs, live entertainment, games, dining experiences, spiritual programs, happy hours, community outings, and more.
Or they can enjoy a quiet afternoon by the fireplace.
Because assisted living isn’t about filling every minute of someone’s schedule.
It is about giving someone the freedom to decide how they want to spend it.
More Than a Building: The People Who Make Strongsville Home
A community does not celebrate 25 years of excellence because of a building.
Buildings don’t create relationships.
People do.
One of the things we are especially proud of at Generations Senior Living of Strongsville is the people who make the community feel like home.
From the person greeting families at the front desk to nursing, caregivers, activities, dining, housekeeping, maintenance, administration, and leadership, each department becomes part of a resident’s everyday life.
Over 25 years, countless employees have contributed to the Strongsville story.
Some were there for a chapter.
Others stayed for many chapters.
Each left something behind.
That is why this anniversary isn’t simply about how long a building has been open.
It is about 25 years of people caring for people.
To the current Strongsville team and every person who has worked there throughout the years: you are part of this milestone.
And the Generations Story Continues in Berea
The same family philosophy extends to Generations Senior Living of Berea.
Located in the heart of Berea near Coe Lake, the library, restaurants, shops, and the surrounding community, Generations Senior Living of Berea has created its own chapter within the larger Generations story.
Berea is different from Strongsville — and that’s something we value.
Every community develops its own personality because every group of residents and employees brings something different to it.
But the foundation is the same.
Rooted in family. Built on care.
At Generations Senior Living of Berea, assisted and independent living are about more than receiving help.
Our residents go on outings.
They exercise.
They paint.
They play games.
They attend worship services.
They gather for happy hour.
They celebrate holidays.
They eat together.
They make friends.
They argue about Bingo cards.
They laugh.
They grieve together.
They celebrate each other.
They live.
And when assistance is needed, our team is there.
That combination of independence, support, community, and connection is what assisted living was created to provide.
Assisted Living Has Changed — And That’s a Good Thing
When assisted living began developing decades ago, it offered families an alternative to the more institutional models of long-term care that existed at the time.
Today, families searching for assisted living in Berea, Ohio or assisted living in Strongsville, Ohio are looking for much more than a place where someone can receive care.
They are asking:
Will Mom have friends?
Will Dad have things to do?
Can she continue making her own decisions?
Will someone know if he’s having a bad day?
Will Mom enjoy the food?
Can Dad continue practicing his faith?
Will they be treated like adults?
Will someone know their story?
Will this actually feel like home?
Those questions represent how far senior living has come.
Care will always be important.
But good assisted living should also recognize everything around the care.
Purpose.
Friendship.
Choice.
Privacy.
Food.
Fun.
Faith.
Family.
Belonging.
Life.
Why We Celebrate Assisted Living Week
That is ultimately why National Assisted Living Week matters.
It gives us an opportunity to celebrate residents, but also to remind everyone that the people living in senior communities have entire lifetimes behind them.
Teachers.
Parents.
Veterans.
Business owners.
Nurses.
Homemakers.
Factory workers.
Artists.
Grandparents.
Friends.
Neighbors.
People who built communities, raised families, survived difficult seasons, celebrated wonderful ones, and accumulated decades of stories worth hearing.
It also gives us an opportunity to recognize the people who choose careers caring for them.
Caregivers.
Nurses.
Activity professionals.
Dining teams.
Housekeepers.
Maintenance teams.
Receptionists.
Administrators.
And the many people working behind the scenes who help make senior living possible.
National Assisted Living Week celebrates all of them.
Shining Through the Years
The 2026 National Assisted Living Week theme could not be more appropriate for Generations.
Shining Through the Years.
Our residents have certainly done that.
But so has this organization.
From Robert M. Coury and his brothers purchasing their first nursing home in 1965, to pioneering new approaches to care, to a second generation continuing the family’s work, to the development of our Generations Senior Living communities, the story has always centered around people.
And this year, we have the privilege of recognizing a particularly special part of that story.
Congratulations to Generations Senior Living of Strongsville on 25 years of excellence.
Twenty-five years of opening the doors every morning.
Twenty-five years of welcoming families.
Twenty-five years of caring.
Twenty-five years of changing.
Twenty-five years of growing.
Twenty-five years of stories.
And most importantly:
Twenty-five years of calling Strongsville home.
To the residents who currently live there, the residents who came before them, the families who trusted Generations with someone they love, the employees who have served throughout those years, and the Strongsville community that has supported us:
Thank you for being part of our story.
And to our residents, families, and team at Generations Senior Living of Berea, thank you for continuing that legacy and writing the next chapter alongside us.
More than 60 years after Robert M. Coury and his brothers first entered long-term care, our purpose continues to reflect the values on which this family business was built:
Independence. Dignity. Compassion. Connection. Home.
Every family has a story.
Welcome to ours.
Research & Resources
National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) / American Health Care Association — National Assisted Living Week®. National Assisted Living Week was established by NCAL in 1995 and provides an annual opportunity for residents, families, staff, volunteers, and surrounding communities to recognize the role assisted living plays in caring for seniors and individuals with disabilities.
National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) — “Shining Through the Years” Revealed as Theme for National Assisted Living Week 2026. Information regarding the September 13–19, 2026 observance and this year’s “Shining Through the Years” theme.
American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living — AHCA/NCAL Anniversary Timeline. Historical information regarding the establishment of NCAL and National Assisted Living Week and the development of assisted living nationally.
Ohio Health Care Association — Pioneer Award: Robert M. Coury. Historical information regarding Robert Coury’s contributions to long-term care, including his family’s first nursing facility in 1965, development of pediatric care programs, early assisted living services, subacute ventilator care, and advocacy for seniors and long-term-care providers.
Generations Senior Living — The Robert Coury Legacy. Generations’ history of founder Robert M. Coury, his work beginning in 1965, healthcare innovation, advocacy, and commitment to compassionate long-term care.
Generations Senior Living — Our Story. History of Generations Senior Living and information about the second generation of the Coury family continuing Robert Coury’s legacy.
Generations Senior Living — Generations Senior Living of Strongsville. Information regarding the Strongsville community, lifestyle, programs, amenities, activities, and philosophy of care.
Generations Senior Living — Generations Senior Living of Berea. Information regarding the Berea community, programs, lifestyle, location, and philosophy of care.