Deb Veit, our Director of Community Relations, spends much of her time answering people’s questions about their senior living options. “In Part 1, I talked about how to determine what kind of senior living residence might be the best fit for Mom or Dad,” says Deb. “In Part 2, I answered the questions people ask me most about Independent Living and Assisted Living vs. Catered Living. Here in Part 3, I want to touch on why almost everyone I talk with values living in an ‘Urban Village’ that offers a continuum of care. It’s a big idea that can be expressed in just one word: CHOICES.”
Q: Choices?
A: Yes. Starting with a choice of residences. In a community that offers a continuum of care, you will typically find a mix of Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Skilled Nursing residences (“nursing homes”). Some of these communities also offer specialized Memory Care residences, a Transitional Care Unit (TCU) for short-term rehab after hospitalization, and Home Care. Our campus offers all of the above choices, and with the opening of The Terrace at Iris Park this November, we will be adding Catered Living to the list. (See Part 2 of our blog to learn more about Catered Living and how it fits into the grand scheme of things.)
Q: Is that what you mean by “Urban Village?”
A: Partly. Villages offer more than homes. They offer places to go and things to do. Everything you need to live a happy, healthy, fulfilling life is right there. Ours is an “Urban Village” because it’s located in the city, and starting June 14th, the Green Line will be stopping at the Fairview Avenue Station right outside our doors. It will connect the residents of our village with the best of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, plus the Mall of America and the airport. The choices of where to go and what to do will suddenly increase exponentially – especially for residents who no longer drive.
Q: What kinds of choices will your “Urban Village” offer?
A: When our Midway Village senior apartment complex opens this November, the entire ground floor will be a Village Plaza for our entire resident community to enjoy (think “mini mall”). The Village Plaza will open onto a beautifully landscaped Village Greenway with lush plantings, walking paths, and little waterfalls cascading toward a pond.
When comparison shopping for a senior community, ask yourself what kinds of choices you or your loved one will have to look forward to each day. Here are some of the choices that our Urban Village will offer. You or your loved one can…
- Take an aquatic exercise class or just relax in the Warm Water Therapy Pool.
- Tone-up or get a cardio workout in the 1,000 sq. ft. Fitness Center. It will feature state-of-the-art HUR air resistance equipment developed in Finland and designed specifically for seniors.
- Do your banking at the Bank Branch with a live teller or an ATM machine.
- Get your hair done or enjoy a professional massage at the Salon and Spa. It will be open six days a week for men and women.
- Gather with family, friends, and neighbors in the English-style Pub Room or its outdoor patio. Staff will be serving from the bar during specific hours.
- Watch movies, classics and new, in the luxurious 25-seat Theater, complete with popcorn and pop.
- Spend some quiet time anytime (alone or with friends) in the MeditationRoom.
- Work on personal projects in the Business Center and Library. You’ll have access to a computer, printer, copier, fax, and lots of great books.
- Grab a soup or sandwich at the Grab & Go Deli, then enjoy it surrounded by greenery in the glass-enclosed two-story Winter Garden.
- Pick up a greeting card, gift, grocery items, or other household necessities at the Marketplace.
- Be a volunteer grandparent at the Kinder Village Child Care Center.
- Attend a concert, lecture, class, meeting, or other event in the large Community Room. You can also book the space for your own group events.
- Relax with family, friends, and neighbors in the Fireplace Lounge near the main entrance of the Village Plaza.
There are additional village-type amenities exclusively for residents of The Terrace at Iris Park, but you get the idea: CHOICES! Regardless of where you end up deciding to move, make sure you have explored the choices that will be available to you or your loved one. There are 365 days in a year, so there is no such thing as too many choices for how make the most of all those days.
Do YOU have any questions about senior living? Please respond with a comment (below) and I’ll do my best to answer them in a future blog post.
www.ehomesmn.org
I have a friend in Florida who is helping a retired Episcopal priest who is going blind, find the right place for him to retire & receive the assistance he will need. If I phone and give her address, could you send information & application details to her? I think the Terrace at Iris Park would be a great place for him.