Claddagh History

Claddagh’s history began in 1995 when Carmel Ledebuhr, a Registered Nurse involved in discharge planning at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, saw the need for more senior care options. She saw the difficulty the elderly faced when they left the hospital and wanted to go home but couldn’t because of their care needs.

She knew that someday she wanted to provide a home just like their home for them - a home away from home that could offer them the personalized care they needed.

After 10 years as a nurse on the cardiac unit at Gunderson Lutheran, Carmel and her husband, Larry, opened their first assisted living home for seniors in La Crescent, Minnesota in 1996.

Born and raised in Ireland, Carmel based her care philosophy on the Irish legend of the Claddagh ring, a symbol that stands for love, friendship and loyalty. The Claddagh communities are committed to bringing loving care into the lives of seniors and dedicated to preserving their dignity as they fulfill their retirement.

Stephanie Swartz, a Gunderson Lutheran nursing supervisor who hired Ledebuhr in 1982, tells people she has made her reservations at the Claddagh Homes for the day when she is too frail to live at home. “That’s where I would want to be,” Swartz said. “I believe so strongly in Carmel’s holistic approach to transitional housing for the elderly.”

Since opening its first community in 1996, Claddagh has become a name synonymous with high quality senior care in the southeast Minnesota and west central Wisconsin region. The Claddagh community is designed for seniors who can no longer live at home alone and for those who require assistance with the activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, medication administration and much more. Claddagh Senior Living offers housing and care services in a home-like atmosphere where a professionally trained staff is available 24 hours a day to provide the care and support each resident individually needs.