E
Excellence
CHILLIWACK PROFILES OF
Chartwell Residences
L
ong gone are the retirement home days when seniors would be cooped up, hoping for a visit from a family member.
At Chartwell’s three Chilliwack retirement residences — Hampton House, Lynwood and Birchwood — the residents find such a sense of community, they have to find time in their busy calendars for family and friends to visit. “It works the other way around, backwards here,” says Lynnwood’s Marie Lashley. “Before, it was trying to fit in time for mom and dad, but now the adult kids are saying ‘When do you have time for me to visit?’”
At Chartwell the focus is on “making people’s lives better,” and it’s more than a corporate catchphrase. Chartwell Residences in Chilliwack offer a wide spectrum of choices for seniors from independent retirement residences to assisted living. Their residences are communities, and the philosophy is that the right support services can help prolong independence while satisfying individual needs.
Many seniors and their families struggle with deciding when is the right time to move into retirement living. Misgivings and misunderstanding are all put aside once they see what Chartwell has to offer. “Many family members say ‘Why didn’t we do this years before when Mom and Dad can really take in what they have to offer?’” says Jillian Poole from the Birchwood. Often adult children want their parents to live with them, feeling a sense of guilt at “sending” them to a “home.” What many overlook is that places like Hampton House, Lynnwood and Birchwood offer so much social interaction, so much community involvement and so many activities, that some will find they are more alive than ever. “This is where you go to live,” says Marie. Retirement living isn’t what it used to be. Residents of the Lynnwood, Birchwood and Hampton House participate in activities that contribute to all areas of development:
physical, mental, cognitive, spiritual, emotional and relational. Participating in all that Chartwell residences have to offer is no small feat. Glancing at the monthly calendars of all three residences, for example, there are half a dozen activities every day. Some of the options include site-and-be-fit exercise, bus trips, movie matinees and happy hour in the lounge—these are busy places. On the other hand, residents can take part in as much or as little as they like. Some remain independent while others are frontand-centre signing up for everything that’s offered. “One of our residents goes golfing every day in the morning,” says Crystal Collins of Hampton House. “In the afternoon he visits friends and family and comes and goes as he pleases. Then there are other residents who are taking in as many activities as they can and they basically live in our main living room.”
“Many family members say, ‘Why didn’t we do this years before when mom and dad can really take in what they have to offer?’”
All three of Chilliwack’s Chartwell residences are located within easy access to medical offices, Chilliwack General Hospital, shopping, library, parks and restaurants. The three retirement residences offer a diverse mix of accommodation choices, from independent cottages to studios and onebedroom and two-bedroom suites. The broad spectrum of services, from independent to assisted living, allows residents to select the lifestyle that best suits their needs. If you or someone you know would like to know more about retirement living, call your local Chartwell retirement residences today to book your own personal visit. Lynnwood: 604-792-0689, Hampton House: 604-703-1982 and Birchwood: 604-792-8793 or visit www. chartwell.com.
Chartwell www.chartwell.com Birchwood 45650 Patten Avenue 604-792-8793 Hampton House 45555 Hodgins Avenue 604-703-1982 Lynwood 9168 Corbould Street 604-792-0689
PHOTO: Chartwell’s Crystal Collins, Jillian Poole and Marie Lashley in the Lynnwood Residence dining room.
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