“Absolutely not.” This was the gist of Pauline’s response when her son, Jay, suggested that she consider moving to a retirement community.
We met her son Jay in 2013, when we hired his video production company to shoot some video footage for Havenwood Heritage Heights.
Over the course of a couple of weeks, Jay’s team took video of our two campuses, met with our residents and got to know our staff. As Jay learned more about our community and the stories of our residents, he began to think about his own mother who had been living alone since his father passed away. Jay’s mother was still maintaining their large home in Manchester, NH and handling all of the home maintenance and yard upkeep on her own.
Jay told his mother that he really “liked the vibe” of Havenwood Heritage Heights and suggested that she schedule a trip up to Concord to tour our community. Jay recalls that his mother was against the idea from the start. “I’m not ready for that. I’m not old enough for that,” she told him. In her mind, Continuing Care Retirement Communities were for people who were much older who could no longer take care of themselves. She told Jay that she likely wouldn’t move out of her home until she had trouble moving around, signs of memory loss, or could no longer take care of herself.
Jay finally convinced Pauline to take the tour and he was very happy with her reaction. “You could tell right away that she loved it,” Jay says. “It energized her.”
Jay remembers dropping his mother off at home after the tour and telling her to think it over for a bit. Apparently “a bit” wasn’t necessary. That very same night, Pauline called Jay and told him that she had put her home on the market.
Jay says that his mother quickly felt at home in our community and already has a great group of friends that she refers to as “the girls.” Jay says that now, after visiting his mother at Havenwood Heritage Heights, “When I drive away, I feel blessed, because I know that she has a life. She’s not going to be sitting down and maybe taking a long nap or watching TV like she would have done when she lived alone. She’s going to go out, she’s going to visit with her friends, and take in an activity. She’s having the time of her life here.”
We often hear from residents that before visiting Havenwood Heritage Heights, they had a very different idea of what living in a Continuing Care Retirement Community would be like. We’re so happy that Jay’s mother, Pauline, took a chance, came to visit, and is now part of our wonderful, active, community.
If you’d like to find out for yourself, contact us to schedule a tour today!
