L A N C A S T E R M E D I C A L S O C I E T Y.O R G
Caring for the long term
Best Practices
That means that residents’ costs are dependent upon the initial size of their first apartment. That monthly fee does not ever change. The one phrase we hear so often is, ‘I never thought I could afford to live at Willow Valley.’ My recommendation for families is to compare many different options. People are often surprised at how favorably we compare from a cost standpoint. Never discount a community based on your perception because, as we so often see, people’s perceptions can be inaccurate.”
stick, COO, Willow Valley Retirement Management, Inc. “That’s why we just went through a rebranding and came up with our new tagline, Life Lived Forward. ‘Retirement’ means withdrawal…pulling back…that’s not what we’re about.” The mission of Willow Valley is to enrich the life of each resident. The staff considers the unique needs of each person. From the 70-year-old husband and wife who don’t want to be tied down with home responsibilities to the 90-year-old widow in skilled care, the staff gets to know the residents and their past experiences. Individuals discover what is important to them and what types of activities make them the happiest. To ensure each life is enriched by living there, Willow Valley makes specialized attention a priority. Willow Valley is one of the largest single site communities in America. With 1,500 independent living residences and 505 supportive living ‘life care’ residences (including skilled, personal care, and memory support), Willow Valley is home to 2,400 residents. Willow Valley’s expansiveness does not, however, get in the way of personalized attention. According to Haverstick, “We use our large size to provide the broadest range of services and amenities to our residents.”
Willow Valley employs a multigenerational model to provide residents with activities not only for them, but also for their children and grandchildren.
“People also have the idea that if you are not already in an apartment at Willow Valley, you cannot be accepted into skilled care,” shared Kendall Hunsicker, Vice President of Healthcare. “People can enter Willow Valley at whatever time in their life they need us.“
“Lancaster County Has the Largest Number of Senior Living Communities of Any County In America”
Willow Valley also offers short-term respite care for a person needing extra help after a hospital stay, or if a family is going out of town for several days. Respite care has the added benefit of giving prospects the chance to “try it before they buy it” by giving them a flavor of what life would be like at a retirement community.
Some of the most popular features of the community include the Cultural Center, Fitness Center (designed by an NFL trainer), and the state-of-the-art Aquatic Center. A Club House and the Arcade are also on the horizon to broaden Willow Valley’s appeal to diverse ages and tastes. The community’s size and personalized attention doesn’t equate to high entrance costs and monthly fees. “One of the major misconceptions about Willow Valley is that it is only for the very wealthy. That is simply not the case. Willow Valley is surprisingly affordable,” explained Haverstick. “Our financial model is ‘life care by the square foot.’
LANCASTER
12
PHYSICIAN
According to Hunsicker, “There is another level of care at retirement communities between skilled and independent, and it is often ideal for patients who are discharged from the hospital. Personal care provides LPNs for individuals who are ambulatory but still need assistance. It also offers residents more freedom while better preparing them to move back to their own homes.” Like some other local communities, Willow Valley embraces the concept of Resident Centered Care. That means they schedule daily events according to each resident’s preferences. If a resident must take medications each morning, the medications are given when the resident wants to wake up—not at a set time because it’s more convenient for