STAYING ACTIVE AT PHOEBE’S CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES
Why Choose a Continuing Care Retirement Community?
Today’s seniors are looking for retirement living options that promote an independent and active lifestyle with the added benefits of continuing care if and when it is needed. According to the United States Depar tment of Health and Human Services, nearly 70% of seniors over the age of 65 will need some form of long-term care for an average of two years.
Phoebe Ministries has four 60+ communities in Eastern PA and will soon be adding Chestnut Ridge at Rodale, an independent living community.These Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) are ideal for residents who are still independent but realize their needs may change in the future. As a resident’s level of care increases, they can easily transition from independent living to personal care to skilled nursing, all while staying within the same familiar community. Moving to a CCRC also helps to “eliminate disruption in their lives as they grow older, because they are staying on the same campus no matter what type of care they end up needing,” according to Brynn Buskirk,
Vice President of Marketing and External Relations at Phoebe.
Staying Close to Home
One of Phoebe’s independent living locations is the Terrace at Phoebe Allentown. Located in the historic West End of Allentown, the Terrace has proximity to shopping, theaters, and restaurants, and is within walking distance to the Allentown Farmers’ Market.
Many residents of the Terrace choose the location because of the familiarity of downtown Allentown, closeness to family and friends, and the vast array of amenities the city has to offer. Even though there is much to see and do close to the Terrace, many residents choose to bring their personal vehicles. Althea Sell, a three-year resident of the Terrace, decided to bring her car and enjoys how she can independently come and go as she pleases,“I go out to the grocery store and my church,” she says.
Like many Terrace residents, Sell grew up in the Allentown area, so choosing to make Phoebe her home was an easy decision.
What Sell enjoys most about theTerrace is,“the sociability here. We’ve got very nice activities. We’ve got programs that are offered, we have speakers, we have musicians that come.” Residents can be as active as they would like, and many par ticipate in exercise programs, cooking demonstrations, or friendly games of bridge in the newly refurbished library.
Apartment home layouts at the Terrace range from studios to 2-bedroom suites, with some that include balconies overlooking picturesque Allentown. All apartments have full kitchens, which give residents the option to make their meals or enjoy their neighbors’ company in the dining room.
One of the most impor tant features of the Terrace is that residents are not just renting an apartment. Instead, they become a lifetime resident of Phoebe, with access to healthcare services now and in the future. In addition, residents are now “…living within a vibrant community with other seniors, so (they) don’t feel isolated,” says Buskirk.
Always Taken Care Of
When a resident needs additional care, Phoebe’s knowledgeable staff is by their side to help them transition to a higher level of support.Vicki Kocis, Sales Coordinator for the Terrace, understands the importance of reassuring residents that they will always have a home at Phoebe. “The biggest thing I tell folks when they are shopping for a community is to ask what happens when their money runs out. Because that is so important, that when their money runs out, we have the benevolence fund that takes care of them. At Phoebe, they know that they will always be taken care of, and that gives peace of mind to them and their family.”
At the Terrace, Comfor ting Home Care by Phoebe is available to assist residents with daily tasks such as laundry, cooking, and other light chores. Once-a-week cleaning and linen services are also provided to residents at the Terrace.The Terrace is also able to provide residents’ families with the relief that their loved one is being taken care of by offering daily well visits and check-ins, if needed.
As a Terrace resident needs more support, they have access to all of Phoebe’s services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Residents can even stay at Phoebe’s short-term rehabilitation community right across the street if recovery is needed after surgery or injury.
Making the Move
The Lehigh Valley real estate market is at an all-time high, and some residents who would like to move to the soon-to-be-built Chestnut Ridge community are taking advantage of the prime market.“Residents who want to live at Chestnut Ridge don’t want to miss out on the potential of getting top dollar for their home, so they are selling their homes now and temporarily living at the Terrace until Chestnut Ridge is finished! Or, they could also choose to stay here because they’ve already created a sense of community at the Terrace.
The choice is theirs, and they only have to downsize once,” explains Kocis, who says there are three Chestnut Ridge depositors currently living at the Terrace.
To live in a Phoebe community, a resident pays an entrance fee and a monthly fee.These fees allow a resident to stay at an independent living community, like the Terrace or Chestnut
Ridge, until such time when a higher level of care is needed. Then, the resident transitions to a different level of care on the campus. Fees for the apartments at the Terrace, or any of Phoebe’s active retirement communities, vary based on the type of living accommodations and refund options selected.
In addition to The Terrace in Allentown, Phoebe also has CCRCs located in Richland, Wyncote, Wernersville, and will soon add Emmaus when Chestnut Ridge is complete.
Each location offers a range of amenities for active lifestyles while providing the high level of care that Phoebe is known for.
To learn more about the Terrace at Phoebe, or any of Phoebe’s continuing care retirement communities, visit phoebe.org or call 610-435-9037.