Betty Gore
Betty was only a toddler when the stock market crashed in 1929. Her father, engaged in the NY markets, lost his clients. She remembers feeling lucky that they were able to stay in their home, but there were no new clothes, only hand-me-downs from her sister or cousins. In 1942 her father was able to get a position with the Department of Agriculture, hugely important at that time, and they moved to Alexandria, VA.
Attending George Washington HS, she worked as a file clerk for the Navy Department the summer she was sixteen. News of the war was limited to the radio and Movie Tone news, but the military presence was the central part of life in the US capitol and its growing suburbs. As a teenager, there was no driving around in cars on weekends because gas was rationed. Near a wartime city, she remembers the East Coast ‘brown outs’ where the shades were closed every night to hide the lights inside.
Another memory is watching from Long Island Sound the German Hindenburg airship, with big red Swastikas painted on it, fly overhead in 1936, and she could see the passengers on the observation deck. She still remembers wondering how the accommodations in that dirigible were arranged and the speculation everywhere as to whether it was on a mission to take pictures of the East Coast shoreline.
Betty graduated from Mary Washington College with a degree in Art. She taught elementary classes for two years in Alexandria. In 1951 she married Herschel Gore. He was a Marine Corps veteran from World War II, serving as a Marine tail-gunner on B-25s during the war in the Pacific. After he graduated from UVA, Betty taught four more years in Charlottesville while he attended medical school. Herschel joined the US Public Health Service with assignments in New York, Greece, and Washington DC. They ended up living in the heart of Fairfax City with their four children.
In 1978 Betty had time for her intense interest in history and art by working as a docent at the Robert E. Lee Boyhood Home in Alexandria. She stayed there for 17 years. In 1981, her schedule added a weekly DC trip to docent at the Hirshhorn Museum. In 1993 she retired as a professional volunteer docent.
Along the way, Betty started water color classes at NOVA. She was active in the McLean Art Club and the Art League of Fairfax. Her travels to art workshops include trips to Italy, Greece, France, Tunisia, Mexico, and many at Springmaid Textile workshops in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Herschel died of cancer in 1989, and in 1993 Betty bought a home near her daughter in Charlottesville. After 14 years there, she moved to an apartment in Oakton VA near her three other children in the area, and six grandchildren.
Betty came to The Woodlands in 2015. Her home is filled with memories: the small Victorian table that meets you at the door is from her grandfather’s antique collection, her grandmother’s gold mirror inside provides one last look before you leave, the brass and copper displays include a mortar and pestle collection, the Marine plaque over one door, and the Public Health Service over another. Most of all, a visitor can enjoy Betty’s own lovely watercolors.
Hank Eckel
Hank Eckel was just an infant when Hitler’s Army marched east past his family’s home at the Baltic Sea near the Polish border. He was born on his mother’s wealthy family estate in the state of Thuringia in a lovely house built as the result of the successful family business. This was only a few towns away from where Martin Luther lived and it became one of the five German states that ended up behind the Iron Curtain. Hank visited the area in 1992 to see dilapidated factories and six families living in his birth house.
Originally from a German colony in South West Africa, Hank’s father was a sailor on the most famous German tall ship (the Gorch Fock) sailing off South America, but was drafted at the beginning of WWII into the Luftwaffe, when it was learned that he was a glider pilot. He was assigned to the airplane and rocket testing grounds at the Baltic Sea shore and the family moved there into a house and his mother’s parents provided a DKW car, a motorcycle with side car, and a riding horse. Everything was wonderful until the end of the war, when the Russians roamed through the area and evacuated Hank, his mother, and his younger brother to the nearby city.
Meanwhile, Hank’s father was taken prisoner by the Russians, but was able to escape and find his family. The home and all belongings were lost. The family decided to move to the western part of Germany. At age 6, Hank remembers that the family, and many other people trying to get away from the Russians, crowded into a cattle train heading west. The family ended up in a small village, living with a farmer. Many people were poor in those days. The Iron Curtain went up. Hank’s mother gave birth to two more boys and she desperately missed her sister and parents, now in East Germany and unreachable. She died at age 30, when he was 10 years old with three brothers.
Hank was able to go to school from age seven to 16 and spoke German, English, and French. He made every effort to improve his school English through frequent interface with American GIs. He applied for work at Standard Oil, Germany, in Frankfurt. His training in all aspects of the company, offices and hand-on at the airport, Main river harbor, trade school, company schooling, etc. led to excellent business knowledge. At 19, he was promoted to the Corporate Headquarters in Hamburg, where he applied for immigration to the USA and also met Christa, whom he married two years later.
A friendship with an American girl in Germany led to her family sponsoring him as an immigrant. Standard Oil (ESSO, Germany), gave him his voyage across the ocean to Canada, from there he took a train to New York city and rode a Greyhound bus to Ohio in late 1959. A survivor of war-torn Germany in rubble and the disgrace of Hitler, he decided to build a new life and career in the United States.
As a 20-year-old immigrant he was drafted into the US Army and moved rapidly to the rank of Staff Sargent. He served a year in Korea, maintaining correspondence with Christa. Her experience as a two-year-old in the war was to seek shelter in the basement of their house with her mother during an air raid, which destroyed the house and all their belongings, leaving them homeless. Her father was traced to Stalingrad, but was never heard from again.
Whenever possible, Hank earned credits in universities, and while stationed in Germany, returned on leave to Ohio to become an American citizen after just three years from the date of his US arrival. Being interested in flying, he attended helicopter flight school and served two years in Vietnam flying helicopters. He had a satisfying, diverse military career, retiring as Colonel with 33 years of service.
Christa retired from Government service as a GS-14 Contract Audit Manager with a Virginia CPA. He and Christa have one daughter, a judge in the PA court system, and two granddaughters.
Jim Wescoat
Jim dropped out of high school and joined the Marines one month after Pearl Harbor. He served as an anti-aircraft machine gunner in the Marine detachment aboard the light cruiser USS Denver, in the Japanese waters of the Southwest Pacific. The most noteworthy single occurrence was when the ship was torpedoed and very nearly sunk, dead in the water with the engine room blown out. Managing to stay afloat, an ocean-going tug towed the Denver back to Guadalcanal.
Jim served 45 months as a Marine, ending as an artillery buck sergeant preparing for the invasion of Japan. Hiroshima ended the war and our servicemen headed home. His service opened new opportunities for doing well in life, and he immediately worked to get the high school diploma he sorely lacked. Determined to get an education, on the GI Bill, Jim received his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Virginia. A friend had introduced him to the love of his life, Bonna, and they entered his life in the petroleum industry.
Jim’s professional service involved working for several companies at their refining and marketing facilities. The most recent and rewarding assignment involved making numerous short duration inspection and consultation visits to each of the Mobil International marketing terminals and refineries. Retiring at 75, Jim enjoyed volunteering at the Lamb Center and at schools.
Jim and his late wife, Bonna, were blessed with 72 years together and a close-knit family of four married children, eight grandchildren and one very new great grandson. While geographically located along both coasts, the Mid West, Europe and Africa, the bonds are still strong. With Bonna’s invaluable guidance and encouragement, all are happily on track following his or her own North Star. Jim, Bonna, and their late chocolate lab, Lucy, came to The Woodlands in 2018. Now at 101+ years, Jim is fully comfortable with modern technology, following his sailing son via satellite, and gladly will show you pictures of his wonderful new great-grandson.
The Woodlands is Alive with the Sound of Music in October
Join us for One or More of the Following October Musical Events and Our Special Open House on October 26th
The Woodlands’ events in October are sure to please every musical taste with a broad range of musicians providing everything from a piano concert in the Living Room on October 12th to Oktoberfest-style German accordion music at our Special Open House on October 26th.
Enjoy refreshments and then take a self-guided tour of our residences
Come meet residents of The Woodlands and hear first-hand what makes this such a wonderful community. Take a self-guided tour of our apartment homes, at your leisure, and learn more about the special incentives being offered at select residences during October. As you tour each residence, a Woodlands resident will be available to answer questions you might have about what it’s like to live at The Woodlands.
Date: Thursday, October 26, 2023
Time: 11:30 AM – 3 PM
Location: The Woodlands, 4320 Forest Hill Drive, Fairfax VA
Complimentary refreshments will be served at a reception hosted by The Woodlands residents.
RSVP: Please RSVP by October 22nd to let us know how many will attend:
Email Ellen Limburg at elimburg@thewoodlandsccrc.com or Karen at marketing@thewoodlandsccrc.com or call 703-782-4762.
Don’t miss these other exciting events happening at The Woodlands in October. Call or email us to reserve your seat(s) for one or more events.
Thursday, October 12th – 7:45 PM
Living Room
Jerry Roman Concert
Friday, October 13th – 4:00 PM
Bistro
Happy Hour with Steve Kenley
Sunday, October 15th – 7:30 PM
Living Room
“Country Through The Years” with Terry Lee Ryan
Thursday, October 19th – 2:00 PM
Community Room
Clara Barton Live!
Clara Barton, America’s greatest heroine, faced bullying and bullets with astonishing bravery to save the lives of others as a courageous Civil War nurse. She then went on to create The Missing Soldiers Office and the American Red Cross despite formidable obstacles. Audience members become naysayers and believers to discover what these struggles and accomplishments meant on a personal level. This award-winning show inspires all of us to “Never Give Up!”
Sunday, October 22nd – 4:00 PM
Living Room
David Pedrazza & Friends in Concert
Tuesday, October 24th – 3:00 PM
Living Room
Hymn-sing with Bill Perry
Thursday, October 26th – 11 AM
Community Room
Special Open House and German Accordion Music featuring Justin Paschalides
Justin is an active performer in the Metropolitan area. He has led rock groups, once opening for the famous Jefferson Starship. He has conducted orchestras for musical theater, coordinated and performed church music programs, plays accordion for farmer’s markets, restaurants, Oktoberfest, coffee houses, plays jazz for private events, hotels, embassies, weddings, leads Christmas caroling, and studied classical Indian Hindustani music to perform on harmonium and sitar, once even for the Kennedy Center. Justin is a member of the Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society
Friday, October 27th – 4:00 PM
Bistro
Happy Hour with “Jumpin Joe” and his Motown/Oldies Show
Performing all the classic hits of Motown from The Temptations, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Martha & The Vandella’s & lots more………
You may also hear “Jumpin Joe” tributes to Elvis, Sinatra, Micheal Jackson, The Drifters, Platters, and the Coasters.
Sunday, October 29th – 7:00 PM
Living Room
Ronn McFarlane
Ronn is a Grammy-nominated lutenist whom The Washington Times describes as playing “…..some of the most ravishing lute playing to be heard anywhere.”
Seating at these events is limited. To reserve your seat(s) for any or our October events, email Ellen Limburg at elimburg@thewoodlandsccrc.com or Karen at marketing@thewoodlandsccrc.com or call 703-667-9801
Anny DeBoeck
Anny Is proud to be 97 years old and was born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium. During the war she went to a boarding school in Brussels. When the railroads were bombed, she, along with four other girls, rode their bicycles four and a half hours to get home for the weekend. They often were tooted at by the German soldiers passing by.
Totally overcome by German bombing that blew out the windows and doors of her home, her family decided to stay in Antwerp. The Belgians endured food and other shortages, loss of their private vehicles, and the governing by Germans.
Her older brother, Pierre, served a short time in the Belgian army, fought in France, and was captured, but was able to go home because his captors couldn’t wait for the trains to take away prisoners of war to Germany.
Her favorite war story is when she played Saint Nicholas dressed in a bishop’s robes and a high mitre hat on a school stage when an air raid took place. Everyone took shelter except for Anny in that cumbersome outfit restraining her. And after all – she was St. Nicholas!!
Anny married Jean DeBoeck in the Belgian foreign service, who was sent to DC to work on the Marshall Plan. Six years later he was hired by the World Bank. During that time, Anny taught the Dutch language at the Foreign Service Institute. They became US citizens after his retirement. She visited Belgium every other year until about six years ago. She thinks in French, still enjoys reading French books, and sings heartily in French, when possible, in living room musical nights at The Woodlands.
Anny has a son and a daughter living close by, six grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. They have big holiday gatherings! Prior to coming to The Woodlands as an original resident 14 years ago, Anny lived in Annandale.
Kay Gilbert
“One of the unexpected benefits of moving to The Woodlands senior living community is the opportunity to meet many wonderful people, each of whom has a rich story to tell about their life experiences. The warm and welcoming reception new residents receive when they move to The Woodlands is almost like discovering long-lost family members.
When my husband John and I first came, eating dinner with our new Woodlands neighbor led to their sharing memories of their earlier years. As I listened to their stories, I asked questions, followed up, and wrote down what they shared. Many of them lived at a time during World War II. The ‘Our Story’ series (or column) provides an opportunity for each of us to share some of our wartime experiences, whether serving in World War II, Korea, Vietnam or the Gulf war.
For example, do your grandchildren know where you were during World War II? Do they know you rode in a cattle car as a displaced person sent to live on a farm? Do they know their grandfather escaped persecution by the Nazis and arrived in America before many of his family died in concentration camps of the Holocaust? Do they know you were a teenager before tasting meat? Do they know your ship was torpedoed in the Pacific? Do they know what you were doing during an air raid?
Our Woodlands senior residents have many stories to tell about their World War II and other experiences where they lived in Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany, living in the bombed cities, their cars confiscated by the military, and food, clothing and petrol were rationed.
As a child born in 1938, I remember the nightly black outs, with the streets patrolled, the ration books, saving big balls of tinfoil, and buying victory stamps for bonds at school; the soldiers who came home to visit in their uniforms and were welcomed by their family and friends. My uncle was an engineer on a Pacific Island and Aunt Aimee would point out a spot on the living room globe and ask if we saw his feet sticking out.
All sorts of stories, whether wartime or not, should be shared with our children and grandchildren so they may understand more about our times growing up. How many times have you wished you had asked more questions of your parents? Think about writing your own story. You, your family and even your fellow neighbors at The Woodlands might be richer and more appreciative of the past and present because of your story.
The Woodlands Senior Residents Cover Many Generations
Whether you are part of the Silent Generation born between 1925-45 or a Baby Boomer born between 1946-64, part of the surge to the US population after World War II, each of us has a unique story to share. There are a few among us who lived in war-torn Europe whose experiences are different from American children.
In the coming months, I welcome you to have a cup of something and let’s write your own story to share.”
September is Sizzlin’ at The Woodlands
Reserve Your Place Now for Our September Special Events
From musical entertainment to lectures on health and history and tutorials on how to maximize the use of your iPhone or Android devices, The Woodlands events in September offer something for everyone. These events are free, but you must register in advance to reserve your seat(s). We look forward to you joining us at one or more of these special events.
Tuesday, September 5th – 7:30 PM
Living Room – The Woodlands
Me & Martha
National Treasures of America’s Mountain Music
Dr. Don DePoy and Ms. Martha Hills are Internationally Acclaimed Members of America’s Old-Time Country Music Hall of Fame. Known as “Authentic Masters of Appalachian Music,” this concert features music from mellow folk and sizzling bluegrass to sultry swing. This evening of music of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and beyond includes an extensive repertoire with sweet harmony and hot pickin’. Reserve your seats now (see contact information below) for this special musical evening.
Friday, September 8th – 4:00 – 5:00 PM
Community Room – The Woodlands
Bill Perry Performance
Captain Bill Perry, Chaplain Corps, U.S. Navy (Retired) began his ministry as Associate Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Springfield, Ohio. A graduate of Hamma School of Theology and Carthage College, he holds a Bachelor of Science, Master of Divinity, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity. While at St. John’s, he was named the Clark County “Man of the Year.”
Saturday, September 9th – 7:30 PM
Living Room – The Woodlands
Les Zazous Concert
Inspired by the raw energy of gypsy jazz, the sensual pull of French chanson, and the heat of Latin ballads, all rolled together with stylish American swing, a musical chord was struck. Les Zazous has performed for a long list of notable events from coast to coast, including the Beverly Hills Concert Series, The Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, and The French Embassy in Washington, DC.
Thursday, September 14th – 2:00 PM
Community Room – The Woodlands
GMU Lecture with Steve Barnes:
“Russia’s War on Ukraine: Origins & Update”
Steven Barnes is Associate Professor of Russian History and Director of the Program in Russian and Eurasian Studies at George Mason University. He teaches courses on Russian and Soviet history while engaged in research on the history of the Soviet forced labor camp system (the Gulag) and the global history of the concentration camp as a modern form of population control. He is the author of the multi-award-winning “Death and Redemption: The Gulag and the Shaping of Soviet Society.” He is currently completing a book on a Stalinist Gulag camp for women arrested merely for being the wives of men who were unjustly repressed.
Friday, September 15th – 4:00 PM
Bistro – The Woodlands
Happy Hour with Steve Kenley
Steve Kenley is a singer/guitarist in the Washington DC area. He plays daily in Washington-area Clubs and restaurants. As a solo act, Steve sings and plays acoustic guitar and harmonica.
Reserved seating – limited number available
Tuesday, September 19th – 2:00 PM
Community Room – The Woodlands
iPhone Tutorial with Hannah Behr
Hannah Behr is a freelance Information Technology Specialist and currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity at the University of Maryland with a minor in mathematics. On the side, she is a Fitness and Nutrition Coach with a specialization in seniors.
(Please sign up by Friday, September 15th)
Thursday, September 21st – 2:00 PM
Community Room – The Woodlands
Android Tutorial with Hannah Behr
Hannah Behr is a freelance Information Technology Specialist and currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity at the University of Maryland with a minor in mathematics. On the side, she is a Fitness and Nutrition Coach with a specialization in seniors.
(Please sign up by Friday, September 15th)
Monday, September 25th – 2:00 PM
Community Room – The Woodlands
GMU Lecture with Dr. Lawrence Cheskin
“Diet and Obesity”
Dr. Lawrence J. Cheskin is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies in the College of Health and Human Services at George Mason University. He is a practicing physician who founded and directed the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center in Baltimore. He has written several books on weight control and performs research on effective means of dieting.
Seating at these events is limited. To reserve your seat(s) for any or our September events, email Ellen Limburg at elimburg@thewoodlandsccrc.com or Karen at marketing@thewoodlandsccrc.com or call 703-667-9801
Don’t Miss Your Ultimate Shopping Spree August 31st
See Something You’ll Like
Tour Some Place You’ll Love
Discover one of the many ways our residents enjoy living at The Woodlands. Spend an afternoon of shopping, food and fun. Then take a self-guided tour of our apartments homes – at your leisure – and experience first hand what life here is like as you mix and mingle with the people who live in our wonderful community.
POP-UP SHOP & OPEN HOUSE EVENT
Date: Thursday, August 31, 2023
Time: 11 AM – 2 PM
Location: The Woodlands, 4320 Forest Hill Drive, Fairfax, VA
Enjoy self-guided tours of our residences and complimentary refreshments.
Please RSVP to let us know how many will attend.
Email Ellen Limburg at elimburg@thewoodlandsccrc.com or Karen at marketing@thewoodlandsccrc.com or call 703-667-9801
Returning in September - Aquatic Fitness Classes
Downsizing to a Retirement Home
Planning can never begin soon enough, starting when your nest empties for the first or last time. With kids in college, we bought a new bedroom set because I didn’t want to take our original one to our retirement home. When a sport or activity ends, like soccer, boating, hunting, skiing, camping, get rid of the equipment and paraphernalia. All that sells quickly on your local Craig’s List.
Plan by previewing the retirement communities in the area you want to live. We put down deposits at three or four places fifteen years before we finally moved. After settling three estates and knowing our own extensive household goods there is no way we wanted our children to have to do it.
Early planning includes finding the value of your home and who will sell it. You may have a realtor you liked from before or ask for referrals from friends. Part of the initial interview is advice on what updating you should do to make your home more saleable. Painting or decluttering can be done in a short time, but even small upgrading of bathrooms or kitchens takes time if something cannot be bought at Home Depot.
Once you have decided on a new place, measure every room on the floor plan yourself down to an inch. Then measure the furniture you want to take. Will a secretary, sofa and end table fit on the living room wall? Will a king size bed fit? Will the leather desk chair fit or maybe trade it for a smaller one that slides under the desk? Decide what you want to take with you before you start giving away or selling what you have. Be aware of smaller pieces of furniture that might fit and be useful, particularly if it is a cabinet or has shelves or drawers. Keep them.
When you know what is not going with you, invite all your family to come over a Saturday or stay the weekend. Empty items from all your cabinets, drawers, closets and put on tables in the garage, pool table, dining room table for them to take. Send them pictures of furniture pieces available and they can pick what they want before coming with a truck or hitched tow. Be sure your own children have had first pick before this event, a family reunion with plenty of food and drink. A cousin’s granddaughter took an antique bed. This occasion gave us the most pleasant surprise of happiness in seeing many family pieces staying in the family.
Time spent on planning the kitchen will save you space. Why take your heavy Kitchen Aid mixer when you are not going to be cooking anymore and have a hand mixer for the occasional cake? Take pictures of the cabinets with the doors open and plan where everything will go, including the items in the kitchen desk you won’t have. Baskets and empty tins organize small items on a shelf. Under bed storage is the answer to where to put everything including leaves for the dining room table and plastic boxes to hold out of season clothes. Closet space can be expanded with another layer of shelves or a lower rack for pants or shirts.
You know that you can’t take four beds to a two-bedroom apartment or two sofas for one living room. However, small things are great for versatility. Nesting tables get split up to hold plants or be a small end table. Flower vases and plant pots, pruning scissors, gardening tools in a tote bag if you will have a garden plot. Odd dishes and bowls and baskets to hold the odds and ends of daily life. A big trash can sits next to the washer and holds the big detergent bottle, swifter, and broom that won’t fit on a shelf. It’s easy to get rid of something you find you don’t need in your new life, but you can’t go back and get what you didn’t bring.
Organizing shelves and drawers is easier with containers from the supermarket. Costco has a box of chocolates with a clear plastic bottom and top, which are wonderful liners under a plant pot or grouping toiletries together in a vanity, plastic containers of all sizes for all those items you shouldn’t just throw in a drawer. If you’re putting baskets or totes on a high shelf, print out and attach a sign what is in it.
We had at least four foot stools in our home, and I use three folding ones now, one each in the closet, kitchen, and laundry room. A folding stair of 2 steps gets me to the back of high shelves. Don’t forget you can put things on top of cabinets, especially pretty flowerpots. Another fixture hanging on our laundry room wall is a Dustbuster for the small vacuuming necessary due to weekly housekeeping service.
We moved many things ourselves, especially setting up the kitchen and bathrooms and having the sheets and pajamas for our bed the first night. The boxes will be overwhelming when the movers have gone, but you’re too exhausted to attack them. Up at 6am I’d unpack and put the empties out in the hallway but didn’t unlock the door. I stepped out and ended up going to the reception desk in my pjs to get a key. My sleeping husband never would have heard the doorbell, and I didn’t have my phone on me. Neighbors retold the story until I was streaking across the main lobby.
Mentioning my husband, reminds me that it is very important that he be given space for his things. His own closet, area of cabinet shelves for bourbon and batteries, and floor space for his toolbox made mine happy.
I’m not a hoarder or pack rat, but over the years I made decisions of keeping some papers and then promptly forgot about them. Forty years later the movers found college term papers and 1990 budget papers in bottom drawers or on top shelves of closets and sent them along to resurface in the unpacking…..maybe I can take a look at them and hopefully see how much sharper my writing skills have become.
All during the process of moving, every half hour seemed like a whiplash from one task to another, so you do foolish things. After trying to reach housekeeping that my brand-new dryer wasn’t working, I learned I must slam the door shut, or the second time we ordered takeout dinner, when John appeared with only one bag, I realized I never filled out my side of the form.
So many widowed friends said how fortunate I am to have a husband helping to make decisions and sharing all the work. Two contemporaries downsizing at the same time as we hired people to do it all. We’re both organizers by nature and physically and technologically able to do the whole process on our own. We know where everything went and what we have with us now, including all the letters between us from Vietnam years and the ones Mother saved that we wrote from two years in Germany, fifty-four years ago. Now that the years of worry over ‘what are we going to do’ are over, maybe we will find time to reread them.
The Woodlands offers independent living that focuses on the health and wellness of our residents. If you would like to learn more about what we have to offer, call us at 703-667-9801 or schedule your visit for a consultation on our positive living opportunities. We serve the Fairfax, VA area and beyond.
3 Steps for Prepping Your Home Before Moving Into a Retirement Community
Moving from a home to a retirement community can be stressful and unsettling. It is a huge adjustment.
Retirement Community Benefits
However, it can also be a positive experience even if you have lived independently for many years. Here are some ways you can make the move and change easier for yourself or a loved one:
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- Research retirement communities. There may be several retirement communities at your location. Research their amenities online to see if they meet your needs and expectations. Arrange for visits and tours at each community that meets your interest. The one you choose may not be the one that you stay in for the rest of your life. However, if you like it, it will be better in the long run as it reduces the stresses and expenses of moving. Amenities are crucial. Confirm that they have indoor amenities (fitness center, library, etc.) and the personal enrichment opportunities you like and need such as day trips, religious services, and walking or hiking outings.
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- Collect and file important documents. This is the perfect time to confirm that you have all of the important documents that you need (wills, power of attorney, medical arrangements, end-of-life care, etc). See if any document needs to be updated. Additionally, obtain birth certificates, marriage certificates, military records, bank records, life insurance, medical insurance, and other pertinent financial documents. These should be filed and easily located.
- Update contact information. Let all of your important contacts know about your relocation. Your physician, lawyer, property insurance agent, medical insurance agent, neighbor, and any other person on their list needs to know without compromising your privacy.
- Scaling down property. Another positive thing about moving into a retirement community is the opportunity to downsize your personal property. You can go through all of your possessions and choose what should go with you and what can be sold or given away. You can also choose items that can be given to specific family members such as a treasured heirloom, art, or jewelry.
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- Clean your home. Once you have removed all or most of your property, now the house can be thoroughly cleaned. You may want to hire a professional cleaning company to do it. Additionally, make sure nails have been removed from walls, cabinets have been cleaned out, showers and bathrooms are scoured, mirrors and doors sprayed and cleaned and trash has been moved to the curb for the trash truck to pick up.
- Have a sentimental goodbye. As you leave your home that is filled with memories, enjoy one last look and all the memories that were lived there. Then when you arrive at the retirement community, celebrate and appreciate your new home!
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Moving to a retirement community requires much research. You can make that transition easier by following the steps above. So, gather all the information you need and make visits and return visits before making your decision. ***
The Woodlands offers independent living that focuses on the health and wellness of our residents. If you would like to learn more about what we have to offer, call us at 703-667-9801 or schedule your visit for a consultation on our positive living opportunities. We serve the Fairfax, VA area and beyond.
*** Find out how retirement communities are caring options for seniors.
The Benefits of Independent Living on Health and Wellness
Independent Living communities are places for seniors to thrive and enjoy their golden years. It’s a positive living arrangement.
Recent studies have shown that seniors with a physically active lifestyle through middle and older age are in better physical and mental health.* It’s essential that seniors not give up on life and sit in a rocking chair on the porch every day. A healthy lifestyle that includes a variety of activities will not only add years to their lives but will improve their quality of life immensely.
The more active a senior is, the better they will feel and the healthier they will be. Active seniors have fewer health problems than inactive ones. Active seniors also experience all the benefits that come with active engagement in activities.
Why Are Independent Living Communities Important?
Independent living communities function as a place where active seniors who need a low-stress, all-inclusive lifestyle can thrive. Independent living communities don’t offer medical services, but they do have benefits that reward retirement with opportunities to enjoy their hobbies, pursue new hobbies, and incorporate a healthy lifestyle.
Here are just five of the many benefits independent living offers to the health and wellness of seniors:
- A calming environment. Most independent living communities have an age requirement of 55 years or older. This means there will be no late-night events or hearing babies cry in the middle of the night. The amenities for seniors such as the indoor pool at The Woodlands give residents a restful, judgement-free place to exercise and relax. They can float around in the pool for hours, socialize with their peers and take part in fitness classes.
- Physical fitness. Independent living communities excel in the health and wellness needs of senior adults. From in-studio and aquatic exercise classes or water aerobics classes led by experienced, on-site instructors to nutritionist classes, independent living communities offer a wide variety of health and wellness opportunities. Seniors can do activities they enjoy and try new activities that challenge them. This regular physical activity reduces the risk of chronic disease, pain, and premature death. The Woodlands also has a walking trail, adjacent to the building, for daily and weekly walks alone or with a group.
- Never be alone again. Sadly, over 30 percent of seniors live by themselves. This results in becoming less socially active. Some alone time is positive, but too much can lead to depression, cognitive decline, and even early death. Independent living communities allow seniors to have a vibrant social life without the stress of making transportation arrangements. Weekly activity schedules could include social events like The Woodlands has including game nights, special speakers, or local trips to the library, museum, or theater.
- No housekeeping or chores. After decades of cleaning and maintaining a home, mowing the lawn, cleaning toilets, vacuuming the floor, and doing laundry, seniors are ready to have someone else do that for them. Independent living communities give residents a maintenance-free lifestyle so all that time that was taken up with home chores can now be for other enriching activities.
- Ability to be yourself. By the time a person reaches 55 years or older, they have raised a family and pursued a career. Now that the children have moved on and started their own lives and the career pursuit is done, seniors can now look into other activities and hobbies they didn’t have the time to pursue. These interests may include painting, traveling, volunteering, or even learning a different language. You can be who you want and live how you want. There are no longer the stresses of aging at home.
Those are just a few of the many benefits of independent living on health and wellness. Seniors can live healthier and happier lives now in this active, maintenance-free lifestyle.
The Woodlands offers independent living that focuses on the health and wellness of our residents. If you would like to learn more about what we have to offer, call us at 703-667-9801 or schedule your visit for a consultation on our positive living opportunities. We serve the Fairfax, VA area and beyond.
* A 2004 research study by Hamer M, Lavoie KL, Bacon SL. Taking up physical activity in later life and healthy aging. You can read the NIH article here.