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Does anyone have experience with the Holiday Retirement chain of communities? They are a national chain offering mostly independent living apartments with a central dining room for meals. They say the monthly charges are about $2,200/month for a one-bedroom. I am interested in ones in Agawam and Ludlow Massachusetts to be closer to family. here's one example: http://www.holidaytouch.com/Our-Comm...n-estates.aspx
That's assuming I am too old to drive, but still ambulatory. I think you would have to leave if you needed assisted living.
Does anyone have experience with the Holiday Retirement chain of communities? They are a national chain offering mostly independent living apartments with a central dining room for meals. They say the monthly charges are about $2,200/month for a one-bedroom. I am interested in ones in Agawam and Ludlow Massachusetts to be closer to family. here's one example: Quail Run Estates Independent Senior Living Community | MA
That's assuming I am too old to drive, but still ambulatory. I think you would have to leave if you needed assisted living.
Interesting I took a look at the site. I know the area and it is nice. It sounds like a very nice place and set up. It isn't for me at this point in my life. It might though I do not think I would do Massachusetts but that is just me.
It might though I do not think I would do Massachusetts but that is just me.
Thanks. I do not have kids, but I have younger relatives in the area. I know that you can't depend on an Independent Living place to do some things for you if you cannot drive.
Thanks. I do not have kids, but I have younger relatives in the area. I know that you can't depend on an Independent Living place to do some things for you if you cannot drive.
Cool. I have one daughter and I am planning on moving just a bit south of your location and you are moving up to my way. Agawam is a nice quaint town. Not far from Springfield and CT. Bradley Airport isnt too bad to fly out of as some of my friends have told me.
If I were single I might consider a place like that. Seeing as though I am not I would prefer a little more space than that for the two of us. Single would be ideal with meals being part of the package. That cost of 26.4k a year is very reasonable.
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I have friends who are in the senior mngmt of Holiday. It has strong SDA (adventist) / conservative mngmt and is a pretty decent package for those that can afford it. We applied to work there as 'live-in managers', but determined it was not the correct path for pursuing our ultimate goal. (We will be building 'working-class' rural ag-centric communities, and Holiday is 'cruise ship / high end'). For singles or executive couples, I feel Holiday and similar to be good choice. But they have some restrictions on level of care that means you may need to split up coupls and send one away to a care center. I am too sensitive to heartbreak of elderly (soul-mate) couples, so it broke me up to see them have to split up in final few yrs.
Go here and type in a Zip code and see what is near you, and go visit.Find Senior Housing Communities | Holiday RetirementAt least it is good for a free meal. Holiday is Very nice digs, and I have sampled MANY of the cook's delights.
Just for fun sometime maybe we should do a survey--how many people on this forum are from Massachusetts. lol
I know Ludlow and Agawam, both are okay, nothing much to rave about, nothing much to do but at that age, who cares? If you have family there, that's the important part.
I did have an aunt and uncle who lived at the Village Gate in Farmington CT. I see that is one of the related residences. To tell you the truth, they hated it and after a few years they moved OUT and bought a condo and paid people to come in and help. The condo had a fenced in patio where they could have a few tomato plants, hang bird feeders, be outside for a bit. The condo had its own entrance, not miles and miles of corridors, it had windows in the kitchen and both bathrooms. So it was "homey" to them.
What they didn't like mostly was the food. This depends upon personal preference, of course, but it was just all too "healthy" for them. I never figured out what they meant but both of them were normal people who had led healthy, active lives and they liked normal food. Neither of them liked the food. Maybe it was "health" food? Both lived well into their 90s eating ordinary good food, neither were ever overweight, so apparently their own type of food was good enough. Be sure and check out the food because it's all included in the price and that's what you'll be eating.
Another thing, at this particular place, there were no patios or balconies. They had a two bedroom apartment and it was HUGE, too huge. Laundry was down the hall, that was fine. They had a kitchen which they never used. My uncle did okay because he played cards with the men and walked laps around the interior walkway on the second floor. My aunt never even unpacked her pictures to hang on the wall, hated it there, said it was not homey. They couldn't garden although my uncle finally got them to start some garden plots for people who enjoyed it and liked the exercise. The place itself was dark and gloomy and the price they paid was exorbitant.
The staff--yes, they were wonderful. I stayed overnight once and staff brought in a bed and set it up in the living room for me. (That's how HUGE the place was.) I think there were also accomodations that I could have stayed in but we decided upon the simple setup with the bed.
You'd have to visit the individual place to see how you'd like it. I think the one I'm taking about was built as a convention center and it just was not homey and the apartments were too huge. It was elegant and luxurious but chandeliers and impressive furnishings do not make a home.
The food and everything else could vary place by place--seemed good in general but check the specifics very carefully yourself.
Last edited by in_newengland; 06-03-2013 at 12:23 PM..
IWe will be building 'working-class' rural ag-centric communities, and Holiday is 'cruise ship / high end'....... Go here and type in a Zip code and see what is near you, and go visit.Find Senior Housing Communities | Holiday RetirementAt least it is good for a free meal. Holiday is Very nice digs, and I have sampled MANY of the cook's delights.
I would be interested in hearing about your working-class rural community. Where?
Thanks for the hint about the meals. It is good to know they are SDA backed. I could visit one of the places in North Carolina.
I did have an aunt and uncle who lived at the Village Gate in Farmington CT. I see that is one of the related residences. To tell you the truth, they hated it and after a few years they moved OUT to a condo and paid people to come in and help.
I looked at the pictures of the Village Gate in Farmington, and thought it was depressing. At least Quail Run looked cheerful. I planned on visiting several places and comparing prices and services when the time came.
Do you know if your aunt and uncle paid an entrance fee?
I have friends who are in the senior mngmt of Holiday. It has strong SDA (adventist) / conservative mngmt and is a pretty decent package for those that can afford it. We applied to work there as 'live-in managers', but determined it was not the correct path for pursuing our ultimate goal. (We will be building 'working-class' rural ag-centric communities, and Holiday is 'cruise ship / high end'). For singles or executive couples, I feel Holiday and similar to be good choice. But they have some restrictions on level of care that means you may need to split up coupls and send one away to a care center. I am too sensitive to heartbreak of elderly (soul-mate) couples, so it broke me up to see them have to split up in final few yrs.
Go here and type in a Zip code and see what is near you, and go visit.Find Senior Housing Communities | Holiday RetirementAt least it is good for a free meal. Holiday is Very nice digs, and I have sampled MANY of the cook's delights.
Just remembered--my aunt and uncle had a friend there who was a widower. He couldn't cook for himself and just couldn't fend for himself. They sort of took him under their wing and a few years later HE moved out too. But for him at the time, the place must have been a God send. He got a place to live, meals and friends and he got back on his feet. Seventh Day Adentists? (said StealthRabbit) They are vegetarians. Maybe that's why my relatives didn't like the food there.
I looked at the pictures of the Village Gate in Farmington, and thought it was depressing. At least Quail Run looked cheerful. I planned on visiting several places and comparing prices and services when the time came.
Do you know if your aunt and uncle paid an entrance fee?
No, I don't know if they paid an entrance fee. You were right--it was depressing. The pictures of Quail Run look good and I see there is a place in East Longmeadow too. It's where Blue Bird Acres used to be. (Blue Bird acres is gone?? Proves the saying that you can never go home again.) It would be a lovely location, Blue Bird acres was like a paradise of apple orchards.
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