10-12-2022 PTL - Flipbook - Page 8
8 A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Wednesday, October 12, 2022
CCRC LIVING
Your community is
waiting for you
CCRCs welcome new
residents with open arms
By Margit B. Weisgal, Contributing Writer
T
he minute Elena G. entered the campus, she felt at home. Even during her
tour, looking at the various housing options available, having coffee with
current residents from the Welcoming Committee, observing classes, she
knew this was where she wanted to live.
Continuing
Care
Retirements
Communities (CCRCs), residential campuses for seniors, generally offer independent
living, assisted living, and a third level that
could be either nursing care, memory care,
or something similar. Some of these are
managed by non-profit organizations and
some by for-profit organizations. And they
come in all different shapes and sizes, ranging from a few hundred residents to a few
thousand.
There are very good reasons to decide
to move to one. Homes are on a single level.
Meals or meal plans are available, though
residences often have full kitchens. Each
has a daily check-in with every resident, so
no one falls through the cracks. There are
usually a wide range of activities in which
to participate, which almost always include
wellness and/or exercise classes to keep
you physically and mentally healthy.
The most important reason to choose a
CCRC is you have a built-in community, so
the danger of loneliness and isolation, something the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (www.cdc.gov) warns “are seri-
ous public health risks affecting a significant
number of people in the United States and
putting them at risk for dementia and other
serious medical conditions.”
Wherever you choose, the Maryland
Department of Aging strongly encourages consumers to consult with an attorney
before entering into any Continuing Care
Agreement. It provides downloadable forms
on its website that you should read and
review ahead of time. (For additional information, see the sidebar: What is Continuing
Care?)
Making a Choice
Each CCRC has a unique personality.
Some are managed by religious organizations, although many of those accept anyone, even those who don’t espouse any
beliefs. Population ages generally range
from 75 to 95, but actuaries now expect
more people to live to 100. Take into consideration the costs associated with the properties as they drive who will live there.
You are probably wondering how easy
it will be to get settled in a new home. In
speaking with various properties, one thing
they have in common is to make you feel
welcomed and at home as quickly as possible. Read on to learn how they make that
happen.
Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant
millersgrant.org
Located less than 10 minutes from
Historic Ellicott City and a half hour from
Baltimore, Miller’s Grant is a sister property
to Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster.
Donna Snyder, Director of Sales and
Marketing, and Lynn Glaeser, Director of
Resident Life, spoke about what makes
Miller’s Grant special.
“We have people from all faiths and
non-faiths,” says Glaeser, “What we share
is a spirituality, especially in giving back to
the community, both on campus and for the
local population.”
“For a lot of residents,” Snyder says, “it’s
a return to where they lived in the past. Many
of them raised their families around here
and still have strong connections to greater
Howard County community.
Today, they have around 350 residents
spread through 205 independent living apartments and 36 single and duplex homes,
assisted living, and health care suites. It
is undergoing an expansion that will add
another 55 independent living apartments,
additional assisted living and health care
suites, a memory care neighborhood and a
performing arts center and chapel.
Miller’s Grant is a fee-for-service property
offering a full continuum of care. “Our resident welcome committee pairs up with new
residents, people to guide them when they
move in,” Glaeser says. “We have resident
ambassadors who help with our Premier
Waitlist Club events. They host them when
they visit the community, try out our dining areas, access our fitness center, and
see what it will be like when they live here.
They also start making friends in advance of
becoming part of our community.”
“We’re different than other senior communities,” Snyder explains, “because everyone feels they have a purpose. There are so
many ways to give back to the greater community. We do a food drive, volunteer, pack
lunches and meals for children, and collect
toiletries for men in rehabilitation centers.
Our chaplain comes up with ways to contribute both on and off campus, so even if you’re
not physically able, you can still help.”
Miller’s Grant has a program called
Flourish to improve mind, body and spirit. They encourage lifelong learning and
recently participated in the Great Decisions,
“America’s largest discussion program on
CCRCs welcome,
continued on page 10