What's it really like to live in a CCRC? by Nicole D. Muller I'm sure you've driven by those grand entrances with fashionable nameplates reading Wood River Village, Martin's Run, The Quadrangle or Logan Square East. Surely you have wondered what's inside, what goes on behind those gates and who lives there. They are continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) and Pennsylvania boasts to having more than any other state. Some compare living in a CCRC to being on a cruise ship or living in a resort year-round. Seventy-seven year old Nancy Chan has lived in such a place for the past six years. She moved to Cathedral Village from her home in Manhattan where she had lived for over forty years. After the death of her husband, Nancy's daughter asked her to consider moving closer to the family who lives in suburban Philadelphia. "I realized that I wasn't getting any younger and that I would enjoy being closer to my daughter and my granddaughter. I thought of moving to a regular apartment but I didn't want to be a burden on my family later on and I certainly didn't want to move twice, so I decided to move to Cathedral Village while I was healthy enough to enjoy all of the activities offered here," she explained. Still wondering what it is really like to live in a CCRC? I recently spent the day with Nancy to help answer that question. Wednesday, July 29, 1998... 8:30 a.m. Tour Chinese artwork and mementoes from her birthplace decorate Nancy's one-bedroom apartment and serve as wonderful reminders of her heritage and family who still live in Hong Kong. By the time I arrived, Nancy had finished knitting a sweater, read the Philadelphia Inquirer (which is delivered to her door each morning), cooked her breakfast, and weeded her garden. The apartment opens to a beautifully landscaped courtyard which is enclosed by a garden wall. The courtyard is home to birds, chipmunks and squirrels who enjoy the large shade trees surrounded by fuschia and lavender impatients. "I never had a garden in New York City and now I love to garden," she said. Nancy's patio is bordered by a flower garden bursting in color with over thirty-two varieties including Snap Dragons, Begonias, Sweet William, Lavendar and Vinca. Hand selected rocks, a ceramic frog and a bird bath add to the charm. 9:00 a.m. Check Mate Nancy coordinates the Check Mate program at Cathedral Village which matches residents together in a buddy-system. Each morning the resident places a ribbon on their front door to signify that they are up and about and doing fine. We briskly walked the covered halls of her apartment building searching for ribbons on the front doors of Nancy's "Check-Mate" friends. We found the four bright colored ribbons we were looking for. If we hadn't, Nancy would have called her "buddy" on the phone to check on her and if there was no answer, the appropriate staff would be notified. We continued the daily ritual by walking to another resident's apartment to pass along the morning newspaper which Nancy had already read. We had a few spare minutes before Line Dancing class so Nancy decided to check on her garden. Although, patio apartments have their own garden, there is a large community garden where residents may have a three by four foot plot to garden. The garden is surrounded by tall fencing to discourage local deer and rabbits from eating the fruits and vegetables. Nancy chooses to grow only flowers here. "I figured I eat lunch and dinner in the dining room and I don't want to eat vegetables for breakfast," she laughs. Some residents are growing tomatoes, onions, lima beans, cucumbers and an assortment of other vegetables. As we approached the garden, we met Becky, a resident who had on her straw hat and knee pads, who was hard at work in her garden plot despite the 91-degree hazy, hot and humid weather. 10:00 a.m. Line Dancing "One-two-three step, first left over then right over, right two three, forward two three, scissors, two step left touch" illustrated 74-year-old line dancing instructor Vernon L. Wersler, who drives from Plumsteadville nearly every Wednesday to teach the class. On this particular morning, seven ladies practiced their line dancing skills to familiar Country Music and Swing tunes including Achey Breaky Heart and the Charleston. "Line dancing helps me with coordination, concentration and flexibility and it is good exercise," explained Nancy. 11:00 a.m. Pink Elephants After an hour of dancing, we were off to the arts and crafts room. Every Monday Nancy spends an hour and a half in the crafts room with a group of other talented ladies. They make stuffed animals, blankets, scarves, mittens, sweaters, Barbie doll clothes and Christmas decorations and donate their handmade goods to be sold at the Annual Crafts Bazaar (November 9th this year). Nancy's passion is knitting. She has been known to make a sweater in one week and so far this year, she has made 16 sweaters to donate to the Bazaar. Today the crafts room was filled with donated items for the Pink Elephant Sale, being held the next day. Proceeds of both sales benefit the Resident's Assistance Fund which cares for residents of Cathedral Village if they deplete their funds. 11:30 a.m. Volunteering Nancy volunteers to deliver mail to residents in Bishop White Lodge, the nursing center in Cathedral Village. Her job was much more important than that. Nancy spread her joy and her zest for life as she walked through the halls and greeted each person with a warm smile and friendly hello. On this day, we went to seven rooms to deliver mail; some of the residents summoned her help with other matters. One needed help reaching the phone and calling her hairdresser, another was wondering when her visitor would arrive. In every case, Nancy did what she could to help. 12:00 p.m. Lunch Break Vernon, the dance instructor, joined Nancy and the other dancers in the private dining room for a special luncheon. Floral window treatments and burgundy table linens add to the elegance of the room. Soups, salads, deli sandwiches, grilled swordfish, hot dogs, and dessert were among the many choices available on the lunch buffet. Nancy chose seafood salad and enjoyed her lunch laughing and talking with her dance mates. 1:00 p.m. Exercise Nancy put on her bathing suit and we headed to the indoor pool. The enclosed pool room has a high domed ceiling and windows which reach from floor to ceiling and overlook the park-like setting of the community. An outdoor sundeck is adjacent to the pool and offers lounge chairs and tables with umbrellas. Nancy swam a few laps and did her arm and leg exercises. Next we went to the fitness room, which is connected to the pool area. One resident was learning arm chair exercises to help with her arthritis and another was walking on the treadmill. Nancy showed off her strength and endurance as she used the treadmill, cycle, sit-up machine, and leg press (she pressed 150 lbs.). 2:30 p.m. Library From floor to ceiling, Cathedral Village's library is stocked with mysteries, fiction novels, travel guides and books to suit just about every interest. Nancy loves mysteries and "anything written by John Grisham." She pulled "The Chamber" by John Grisham off the shelf, signed it out and we were on our way back to her apartment. 3:00 p.m. Freshen Up I decided to go home and get some rest. Nancy was planning to freshen up and meet her friends Bee and Ethel in the formal dining room for a dinner of tossed salad with sweet and sour dressing, poached salmon, parslied noodles, peas and mushrooms and zucchini and carrots and toasted pound cake topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. After dinner, she would most likely return to her room to relax and knit or maybe she would attend the special event planned for the evening; a choral poetry reading by Adele Gerber. Although our day together provided a glimpse into the CCRC lifestyle, I quickly realized that it is not possible to describe a typical resident or an average day in a CCRC. Just as no two residents and no two communities are alike, no two days are exactly the same. CCRCs provide an ongoing schedule of activities from concerts and lectures to trips and outings. Every day in a CCRC brings something new. According to Elaine Kaiser, director of marketing and admissions at Dunwoody Village, "Residents can be as busy as they want to be. Whether it is volunteering or playing bridge or just relaxing, residents continue to do the things they have always enjoyed." Moving to a CCRC allows residents more time to do the things they love and spend less time on chores and maintenance. As Gini Allison, an eighty-one year old resident of Wood River Village explained, "some residents are very active and fill their calendars every minute of the day and others don't keep as busy." Gini keeps active by volunteering, doing water therapy in the pool three days a week, and going on special trips like the Bucks County Playhouse for a series of eight musicals. CCRC residents have the freedom to enjoy their retirement years without many of the worries and burdens of living on their own. CCRCs are designed to offer residents a full range of opportunities to maintain their active and healthy lifestyle by providing numerous amenities and activities. CCRCs in the Philadelphia area provide community spaces for just about every interest. Some CCRCs are providing innovative programs to foster continued growth and learning for residents. "Our residents thirst for knowledge," explained Lorraine DellaFranco, marketing director for Martin's Run. Martin's Run in Media has become a satellite campus for Gratz College of Jewish Studies and offers numerous courses to residents and the outside community with topics ranging from "The American Jewish Family Today - New Challenges, New Trends" to "The World of Jewish Music". A local college will also offer computer courses to teach residents how to use computers, "surf the net", and e-mail their grandchildren in the newly dedicated computer room housing five computers. Arts and crafts rooms, beauty and barber shops, woodworking rooms, greenhouses and gardens, libraries, and billiard and game rooms are typically found in the areas CCRCs. Some communities, including Wood River Village, Cathedral Village, Dunwoody Village, Martin's Run, Quadrangle and Philadelphia Presbyterian Home also provide swimming pools for exercise and fun. Quadrangle even offers a tennis court, six hole golf course and putting green. The Philadelphia Presbyterian Home has a bowling alley on-site. In addition to these recreational opportunities, CCRCs plan a full calendar of on-going activities and special trips. CCRC's also provide services including meals, housekeeping and transportation for residents. Logan Square East, located in center city Philadelphia, provides a van, "The Loop", which runs seven times every day approximately six miles around the community and stops at places such as The Ritz, The Bourse, Reading Terminal Market, Academy of Music, Atwater Kent Museum and nearby universities and hospitals. "Our residents use the Loop to go just about anywhere in the City. We even have residents who still work and use the Loop to get to the office," explained Peggy Brown, director of public relations and marketing. CCRCs are certainly an all encompassing care option for seniors who are looking for independence, companionship, and assistance as they approach the stage in their lives where the quality of life and dignity is foremost in their minds. Next time you drive by a CCRC, stop in for a tour and find out first hand what they are really like. ASSISTED LIVING Assisted living communities provide many of the same amenities as CCRCs and are among the fastest growing segment of senior housing. They provide a home-like environment to residents who need more support than those living in an independent living apartment within a CCRC. Three meals daily, housekeeping and laundry services, activities, transportation and personal care are provided. For this reason, the typical day of an assisted living resident varies considerably from a senior living independently in a CCRC. "This is their home," explained Irene Gaskins, lead care supervisor of Sunrise's newest assisted living community in Lafayette Hill. "Each one of our residents is treated as an individual and no two are alike." The amount of assistance needed can vary substantially from resident to resident. Some residents can function fairly independently and others are in need of a great deal of support but do not need nursing care. Assisted living communities strive to serve all of these residents in an environment which preserves their dignity, freedom and independence for as long as possible. According to Irene, the typical resident in assisted living is an eighty-seven year old female who needs some assistance with bathing, dressing, and/or medication monitoring. After waking, residents can have all the help they need getting ready for the day. "We don't just dress and bathe residents; we ask them what they would like to wear and then lay out their clothes so that they can dress themselves. It's all about dignity and independence." explained Irene. "Some residents need help with zippers or buttons, others may need us to tie or buckle their shoes." Right down to the make-up and accessories, residents are asked what they would like to wear and are given the opportunity to do it themselves with as little or as much assistance as needed. This sense of independence is carried through in every detail of the day; from menu choices and meal times to selecting the day's activities. A variety of activities including exercise class, current events discussions by the fireplace, special events, trips and outings, and visiting with family and friends bring enjoyment to each day. As the day draws to an end, residents feel secure because they are not alone and someone is nearby if they need help during the night. Residents are not the only ones to have peace of mind. Families become increasingly concerned as their loved one ages, particularly when they are living alone. As Bruce Kimball, administrator of Harrison House in Coatesville explained, "Families are also comforted knowing that the resident is going to be safe and secure and that we are looking out for them without infringing on their freedom."