Retired psychologist weighs in on why senior living communities are essential

My wife if 50 years, Joan, and I, like most people, have found life challenging over the past few months. However, because we live at a senior living community, it’s actually been less challenging than living in our former house.

As a retired counseling psychologist in the Philadelphia area, I have reflected on the physical and emotional struggles, as well as the loss of lives due to this virus.

I am grateful for all of the medical professionals working tirelessly each and every day and am especially grateful knowing that just outside the door of our cottage are dozens of individuals who care deeply about our needs and interests, and treat us like family.

Yet every day I read a new depressing headline about the coronavirus as it relates to senior living communities and especially nursing homes. My frustration continues to increase at the fact that senior living communities like ours are being lumped into the same category as nursing homes that are taking care of our most vulnerable population.

In March 2019, my wife and I made the decision to migrate just a short 6.9 miles from Narberth to Rosemont, Montgomery County, where we found our new home at The Mansion at Rosemont. It was one of the best decisions we ever made.

This community gives us the opportunity to continue enjoying everything we love to do, with the option to move to the personal care part of the community if our needs ever change.

In the midst of the pandemic, we have continued to stay busy despite practicing self-quarantining. I will admit, I miss socializing in the dining room and seeing our friends over a game of cards, but we, like most people, are safer at home than getting out and about and taking part in the many things we typically enjoy.

My wife is still keeping up with her exercise regimen with other residents — of course safely distanced — staying involved with her on-campus volunteer work as well as with her many local volunteer efforts including Habitat for Humanity.

I have been keeping my hands dirty in our beautiful raised gardens on the property, rehearsing for the lead part in “Macbeth” and trying to find small ways to bring joy to the other residents, such as distributing American flags to all of the residents on Memorial Day.

At the end of the day, I find great comfort in knowing that my efforts to stay engaged, combined with the fact that there is an entire community we know are always present even if we don’t see everyone all of the time, is reassuring.

For example, knowing a team of staff at every level is going above and beyond for us is exceptional. And of course knowing there are care professionals onsite “just in case” is beyond comforting.

In my 78 years, I have never witnessed a global health crisis like this, so my request is that we continue to focus on the positives of what senior living communities provide to older adults like us who are “62 and better.:

And take heart that the dedicated professionals working in these senior living campuses are doing everything they can to create a safe and engaging environment, protecting the residents they have come to love like their own family.

COURTESY OF PARIS STERRERT Paris and Joan Sterrett, residents at the Mansion at Rosemont, a HumanGood Community.