Concordia the perfect solution for mother, daughter
With her mother in an independent-living community in Florida, Ellen Brennan of Bella Vista missed doing things together.
“I wanted to be able to go out to lunch, to go shopping or to grab some coffee with her,” Brennan said.
After researching similar communities in Bella Vista, Brennan consulted with her two brothers and decided Concordia Retirement Center would be the ideal place for her mother, June Jones.
“It was really a no-brainer,” she said. “I can’t tell you how wonderful everyone has been through this whole process.”
Brennan said her mother recently became ill and needed a doctor.
“Linda [Woollett, marketing manager for Concordia] found my mother a doctor, and not once did she say she couldn’t make things happen,” she said.
Also, Jones’ furniture wasn’t set to arrive until a couple of weeks after she moved in.
“Everyone was so accommodating — while I was in California to visit my husband’s mother, they handled the moving van. They also set up a lovely room in the assisted-living home until her apartment was ready,” Brennan said.
Although she expected a very institutional feeling in her mother’s temporary room, she found a very homelike environment.
“We walked in, and the ladies who were getting the room ready were talking about what quilt to put on the bed,” Brennan said. “There were flowers, decorations, a television and even a tree there — we were both so touched.”
Jones officially moved into her apartment March 1 and has already made several friends. “It’s like one big family here,” she said. Playing cards and other games is one of Jones’ favorite activities, and she plans to become more active when a round of physical therapy is finished in a few weeks.
Jones said likes Concordia far more than where she previously lived in Florida.
“Everyone here seems so much younger,” she said. “They’re not, but it sure seems like it.
“The residents and staff are all so eager to help the new people — it’s just wonderful.”
Jones and Brennan also appreciate Concordia’s flat fee.
“The place my mom lived before, everything was extra,” Brennan said. “If you needed to go to the doctor, she had to take a cab. But here, they take her to her appointments for no additional fee.”
More information is available online at concordiaretirement.com. A tour with a complementary lunch can be arranged with Linda Woollett by calling (479) 855-3714.