The Reality of Retirement
Rebecca Quinn, Fountain View Village Retirement Community, Scottsdale LIVING WELL Magazine (formerly SENIOR Magazine)
When we were young and dreaming about retirement, my wife and I always imagined driving across the country in an RV and stopping wherever and whenever we wanted. We would summer in the cool of Michigan, while spending time with two of our kids, and winter in Arizona with the others. We never imagined that we would be retiring one minute and my wife would be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s the next, but that is exactly what happened.
We didn’t know what to do. She seemed very healthy, if a bit forgetful – but isn’t everyone from time to time? We thought we would still be able to live our dream, and for a little while we did. Then one day while we were staying in an RV park in Arizona, I realized that wasn’t the reality anymore. My wife had burned the last three dinners she made and was starting to forget to add key ingredients to her recipes.
We talked to our family and decided to look at retirement communities. We started our search on the Internet. At first we were so confused; there were so many options and we were hit with a variety of different terms: independent living, assisted living, memory care, CCRC, skilled care, etc., and the list went on. We weren’t sure what it was called, but we did know what we needed. For now, all we wanted was a place where we could get nutritious meals every day, some housekeeping and a little transportation. I am okay to drive to the grocery store or church, but when it comes to driving to the doctor’s office and finding a place to park, I get a little hesitant. We also wanted to be sure to find a home where we could stay, no matter what the future held. We went to Fountain View Village and learned that the type of community we were looking for was a continuing care retirement community or CCRC. Then we found out that there are two different types of those as well: one we can “buy in,” and the other is more of a pay as you go type, as is Fountain View Village. We liked the idea of being able to start in independent living and move throughout the community as we graduated to more care, but we also liked the idea of renting and not paying any large upfront costs.
We looked at several communities, but chose Fountain View Village. We were impressed with the beauty of it, but what we really loved was that as her needs change, my wife and I can stay together. Like many retirement communities, they have large independent living apartments, but unlike many, they also have spacious apartments in assisted living and memory care, so we can both move when the time comes. She will be able to get the assistance she needs, and I will have the peace of mind knowing that if I am out playing golf with the guys, she is being watched over. If the need arises for rehabilitation, we can spend a little time in skilled nursing and then return to our apartment.
It has been wonderful waking up in the morning to the panoramic view of the mountains and having coffee on our patio while watching the famous Fountain Hills fountain. It is so nice not having to worry about cooking dinner anymore; we join our new friends in the dining room. Chef Matt has a wonderful menu of delicious and nutritious meals to choose from. The homemade soups are a great way to start our dinner, and the homemade desserts top it off. My wife is doing wonderfully. The doctor said that socialization is important to helping her stay well longer. She loves going out to lunch with the girls, and we enjoy watching movies together in the theatre. I love having a driver. No more trying to find a parking space and worrying about leaving my wife in the doctor’s office while I go and retrieve the car. They walk us into the office, and pick us up at the door when our appointment is over.
Retirement didn’t quite turn out the way we dreamed, but thanks to Fountain View Village the reality is better than we ever imagined.
This article is a story about the unexpected realities many face during retirement. For more information on Fountain View Village, please contact Rebecca Quinn, director of sales & marketing, at 480-836-5081.
