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Life is full of transitions. Kids grow up, jobs come and go, and change is the only thing we can really rely on. Knowing this and embracing these changes can be two very different things, especially as we get older.
Moving into a retirement home can feel like the end of everything fun, but it doesn’t have to be, says Stephanie Chambers, an administrator with Concordia at Sumner in Copley. “Some people move to a retirement community or assisted living facility and say, ‘Now what?’ At Concordia, we have a good answer for that.”
Like perennials in the garden, older people today are embracing the new “perennial” mindset, a catchphrase for a fresh outlook of defying stereotypes and reinventing yourself in exciting ways. A second — or third or fourth! — chapter of life can mean new opportunities, friends and discoveries, rather than a slow waning of vitality.
With an array of living arrangements from fully independent villas and apartments to a skilled nursing rehab complex and assisted living care, Concordia excels at helping people embrace the transitions that life brings them.
Choosing to Move
“One of the most important things is that when you move when you have your cognition about you, you can make a good, informed choice,” Chambers notes.
Several Concordia residents first move in when they are healthy and in their mid- to late-60s. They maintain all the privacy and independence they had at their home with a full complement of social programs and services at their disposal.
“When you live in a community environment, you have a chance to interact with your peers,” Chambers says. “That is really important to good health — physically and mentally.”
Couples are common, and if one partner needs physical or cognitive assistance before the other, there is ample support for both of them. They can stay together and get extra care without burdening their families.
Keeping Active
Emily Dorland is the independent living program coordinator at Concordia, and she understands how important staying active is for making the most of the golden years.
“Loneliness, boredom, isolation often come along with aging, and the programming we offer is so personalized, it allows residents to come out and live life to the fullest wherever they are in the aging process.”
Offerings evolve to each resident’s needs and abilities as their level of care changes. “Because we offer a full continuum of care, we provide a wide range of social programs and cognitive programming to meet all the various needs and limitations of our residents.”
Residents living independently have a huge list of possible diversions to engage in, from a fitness center with a pool to visiting speakers, Bible studies and outings to Blossom Music Center, Ohio Light Opera and more.
In skilled care and assisted living, the breadth of programming remains wide with adjustments for physical and cognitive limitations. Whether residents engage in lightweight resistance, musical stimulation, arts and crafts or trivia games, Dorland says, “We find ways to give them the optimal quality of life during each day.”
Embracing Life
Retirement — and moving to a retirement community — is not the dead end it was once thought to be. It’s simply a new adventure to embark on, and keeping a good attitude is important.
CEO Charlene Kish remembers a retired professor who moved to Concordia and captured that spirit by saying, “Charlene, we’re not dead yet! I’m still excited about life!”
That optimism inspires Kish to make Concordia a great place to embrace the future. “All of the residents here are so engaged, and they’ve inspired me so much with how they age gracefully but still keep involved,” she says. “You see them starting a whole new chapter in their lives and embracing life.”