New Neighbors: Independent Senior Living

Wesley adjusted to Freedom Village at Brandywine in 48 hours. The first night he experienced uncertainty. But he settled into the condo quickly, adjusted to elevator rides and became a well-known community member in a short time. Walks along the green and near the nature trail became favorite pastimes.

Wesley’s humans, Bron and Gordon, also made a smooth transition. In the 10 months they’ve been at The Village, Bron has joined a board that awards college scholarships and acts in the theater group. Gordon can often be found at the bocce court or television studio. Wesley, the toy poodle, Bron and Gordon are part of the neighborhood.

Staff and residents of senior living communities say the biggest help in acclimating to independent living in a senior community is the neighbors. Friendly invitations to sit together at a meal — whether in a nearby cottage or at a common dining room — and to join activities or share information from already established, like-minded residents in a community are key to smooth transitions.

Time for a Change

Although each person’s timeline for taking the leap from longtime house to independent living in a community home can differ, many folks jump for similar reasons.

Michele Berardi, senior director of communications and public relations at Kendal-Crosslands Communities, says individuals and couples often decide to move to a community so they don’t burden family. Many at Kendal had parents and grandparents who showed them the value of proactive decisions about their future. Others want more social connections.

Sarah Jolles, a spokesperson for The Mansion at Rosemont, added that many people realize they can gain more independence because daily life in a senior community is a bit easier.

A recent trend is to move to a life plan community (LPC) — formerly known as a continuing care retirement community — sooner, rather than later.

This year Cornwall Manor becomes the age that was once the average of the people looking at senior communities. Happy 75th birthday! Like other LPCs, however, Cornwall Manor is seeing more people in their mid-to-late 60s making the switch. Word is out: many seniors wish they’d come sooner. So younger folks come to take full advantage of communities’ vast menu of amenities.

While not everyone does as one newcomer to a community did — oversaw the move of her belongings into the new space on a Tuesday and left for a cruise on Wednesday — independent living offers options. Some residents continue to work at jobs they love. Some enjoy “lock and leave” vacations without making arrangements to water plants. Others add a new hobby while someone else fixes faucets and mows lawns.

House Calls

While I chatted with Jim and Marilyn, two-month-new neighbors at Kendal at Longwood, Jim got a call from their “roofmates” — the couple that shares the roof of their duplex cottage. “People are friendly, and it’s easy to call someone and ask if they want to meet for dinner or an activity,” he said. Jim’s artwork is already on display in the dining room.

One unexpected surprise the couple received was when they returned home sick after a trip. Their call to the health center resulted in an honest-to-goodness house call from a doctor an hour later.

“Where Everybody Knows Your Name”

Some newcomers delve into their new places as they did during college — attending morning yoga, meet-ups at the café, afternoon classes and evening concerts after friendly suppers. Others look for recreations of their favorite hangouts with a Friday evening glass of cheer “where everybody knows [their] name.”

With a range of styles, amenities and activities, nearby senior living communities with independent living options have great ways of facilitating transitions for newcomers. Some include:

• Taking time up front. Getting comfortable at Kendal-Crosslands begins on the first trip. Prospective residents get to know the people and campus with many visits over multiple months. Tours, meals, concerts, meetings with staff, cottage visits or appointments for paperwork are opportunities to find and become familiar faces.
• Moving coordinator. At Freedom Village, a moving coordinator serves as a hand-holder for making connections with movers and realtors, providing floor plans to determine in advance which beloved belongings fit, and determining what new flooring or appliances are wanted.
• Best friends. Longtime four-footed companions bring familiar rituals and heaps of love to any transition. Dogs are welcome at Crosslands and can visit the health center. Furry family members also make new friends at the dog park.
• Name tags. At Freedom Village and other communities, staff and residents wear nametags every day so “everybody knows your name.”

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  Compliments to the chef. Food is a vital part of any life change — for health and comfort. It’s also a fundamental start for much camaraderie, such as grilling events on the blue slate patio at The Mansion at Rosemont. New residents can meet with its chef before moving in. With ample notice they can request a special recipe for a birthday meal after The Mansion becomes home.

• Getting around. Go solo or with new friends to discover what’s nearby. Choose your favorite mode: Walk from The Hickman to the West Chester Public Library, borough shops and holiday events at the Historic Courthouse. Grab a cab or take your own wheels for a Sunday drive that ends back at Harrison Hill Apartments, where parking is abundant. Take White Horse Village’s shuttle to town shops or stay at home with their in-house salon/barber. In Lancaster County, whatever your travel preference, venture from Homestead Village’s carriage homes or upcoming luxury Townstead Apartments to Lititz’s Pretzel Fest.
• Get going. Keeping moving supports physical and psychological wellbeing, which facilitates community adjustment. Oh, the choices! White Horse Village’s fitness center, Crosslands’ pickleball court and Honeycroft Village’s heated pool, to name a few.

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  Garden for new roots. Research shows that playing in dirt releases “feel good” hormones. Wanting cutting-edge practices for residents to remain healthy and independent as long as possible, Cornwall Manor connected with the Rodale Institute. The result: three years ago they established the Trailside Organic Farm to bring nutritional and emotional benefits of farming and gardening. Residents reap all sorts of harvests: exercise planting or weeding, eating organic vegetables in dishes like the “to live for” salad bar. Involvement helps roots form in a new home. Plus Cornwall’s flower gardens are a welcoming sight, as well as patches for “dirt therapy” and bouquets for people moving from houses with gardens.

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  Art works. Art plays a special role at The Mansion at Rosemont, with its history as the historic home of painter Mary Cassatt. Independent residents continue their Philadelphia Orchestra concert subscriptions or trips to the Art Museum more easily by community-sponsored bus. They also create at the in-house studio, or take in concerts, plays or programs by names such as Victoria Wyeth, without leaving the property.

• Close to home. By selecting Kendal, not three miles from their former home, Jim and Marilyn preserved what matters most to them: visits with their children and grandchildren. They also retained their church, bank and pharmacy, keeping logistical changes to a minimum.

Home at Last

Joyce and Arnie have relished independent living in a bright, spacious condo with a garden patio at Freedom Village for five years. They remember their move and their first week, and shared perspectives about their transition. The first week brought some temporary confusion — where is everything located? And there were some parts of their previous home Arnie missed. But even during those first days, the relief was stronger — they didn’t have to move anymore, their belongings and home were taken care of, and they could rest a bit in their new home. Their transition also included determining which fun activities they’d keep from their past and what wonderful new things they’d try.

Some of those wonderful things turned out to be dishes Joyce didn’t have to cook. Arnie joked that one of the most enjoyable groups they first joined was the “Pound-a-Month Club.” (Laughter is definitely something else they kept.) They can still cook in their lovely kitchen when they want, pick up meals at the dining room to take home or enjoy a delicious, leisurely dinner served by a team of delightful students.

“This is home now,” they said. “Walking down the hall after a busy day, we say, ‘Oh, it’s good to be home.’”