For many years, Helen and her husband, Danny, were snowbirds who spent summers on Peaks Island in Maine and winters in Florida. Danny passed away nearly a decade ago, and for the first time in 64 years, Helen was alone.
Independent Again
“After my husband passed away, I was at odds about what to do,” Helen says. “I lived with my daughter in Wakefield [Massachusetts] for about nine months. Then I thought, this is silly. I’m perfectly able to take care of myself.” Helen moved into a small independent living facility on Peaks Island and lived there for the next seven years.
A few years ago, Helen’s eyesight started deteriorating, and she was experiencing sciatica that refused to go away.
“I really was having a hard time,” Helen recalls.
At the urging of her five children — combined with her own realizations that she needed to be somewhere she could have some help — Helen started searching for the right assisted living community.
With a Little Help from My Friends
Helen’s eldest daughter lives in Dracut, Massachusetts, so when the Arbors at Dracut opened, she stopped by — three times, actually. The fourth time, she brought Helen.
“When I came down, I liked it right away,” Helen says. “It’s much more appealing than any of the other places I looked at.”
Helen moved into the Arbors at Dracut a couple days after Thanksgiving in 2017.
“Everyone here is so friendly and helpful,” she says and gives an example. “I’m on a gluten-free diet of my own choosing, and Bob, the chef, is very accommodating. For instance, if he’s serving fish with crumbs on the top, He’ll make a special dish for me without the crumbs.
Busy, Busy, Busy
Helen’s favorite thing about the Arbors at Dracut — more than the pub, the movie theater, and the sunroom, is her home.
“I really love my apartment,” she says. “It’s very sunny. I’m happy to stay there and read my books and talk on the phone with my daughters.”
Helen is a big reader. Because of the difficulties with her eyesight, she’s started listening to audiobooks more, but her eyes don’t prevent her from participating in the Arbors at Dracut Book Club. “I learn something from almost any book I read,” she says.
If she’s not devouring the Book Club’s next read, you might find Helen playing cribbage or going for a walk outside.
“There are so many activities offered here that I haven’t even tried some of them,” Helen says. “My children always say: ‘When you want to talk to mom, you have to make an appointment. She’s always busy.’”
A Place to Call Home
At 92 years old, Helen is happy to be in assisted living.
“I am absolutely elated that I made this decision,” she says. “I’m just so happy here. My children can tell how much I enjoy being here. It’s a wonderful place to be. It is like one big family.”
If your mom or dad would enjoy dining on local culinary favorites, participating in engaging and enriching social opportunities, and quality personal care daily — and if you would appreciate a little peace of mind — Schedule a tour of the Arbors at Dracut today.
