Change is hard, said Kyla Gower, Independent Living Director at the Quarry. However, she said that as soon as new residents arrive, those concerns just seem to melt away.
“It’s really not as scary as its sounds,” she said. “Everyone has something different that makes it for them. For some people, it’s making some friends. For others it’s finding an activity that they love or realizing, ‘oh, I can still do this.’”
Families, too, feel better knowing their loved one has a community of people around them who care about them and will notice if something isn’t right, Gower said.
The same is true at Glenwood Place Senior Living. Justin Ashley said that what he’s learned from his time as Independent Living Director at Glenwood Place is that as we age, we lose easy access to social opportunities. On top of that, he said, the benefits of a big house slowly become a burden.
“Everything you do takes a little bit more concentration, a little more effort,” he said. “Independent living gives you the option to choose what you want to keep up with and what you don’t, allowing you to enjoy time with friends, significant others, dogs, hobbies, volunteering.”
“The marketing person who walked us around knew everyone by name,” she said. “We felt like we were home.”
Hofmeister said she worried about finances, but every time she added up all the costs of her home – utilities, taxes, etc. – independent living ended up making the most sense. Even so, her biggest fear of moving from her Vancouver condo into the independent living apartment was having a place to host family when they visit.
“Glenwood offered up the party room to host Thanksgiving, Christmas. I had my 80th birthday here,” she said proudly. Thinking back on the move, she said: “I have to tell you, I wouldn’t go backward.”
