50+ Lifestyles

Aging and You

Maintenance-Free Living

By Julie Arndt
Marketing Director at Ridgecrest Village

Maintenance-free living has never been so appealing.  My husband and I are do-it-yourself sort of people and enjoy spending time outdoors working on projects. We get good exercise, taking in the fresh air while we tend to our garden. It takes a lot of physical work to keep it looking nice throughout the spring and summer, not to mention the winter months. Recently, after spending a day working in the yard, I reflected on how challenging it is for me as I age to do labor-intensive yardwork compared to when I was younger. After unpacking and spreading dozens of bags of mulch, I was in a world of hurt by the end of the day. The benefits of living in a senior community become more real to me with each passing year. A senior community like the 22-acre campus that Ridgecrest offers provides the added dimension of a handsome landscape every season without the heavy lifting.

Recently, we had a drone video the campus. It was quite an experience, seeing the brilliant colorful view of the freshly mowed lawns, trees, and gardens from the sky above Ridgecrest. It reminded me of a school science project, launching rockets in the school yard. The drone, a very high tech camera which is fun to watch in operation, showcased the richness of the grounds and revealed the vision of the Davenport leaders who created and founded Ridgecrest. At the end of that day, observing residents out and about as I walked to my car, I found myself thinking that this is truly a great place to live. The campus looked magical, something out of a storybook. The charming cottages are clustered together in such a way that they make little village neighborhoods of their own. I asked myself, “Who wouldn’t want to live here when they are ready to start a new journey in a retirement community?”   

Ridgecrest has been busy creating an environment of enhanced engagement with a ready supply of fun and social activities to choose from, as well as building a superior
culinary team with chef-prepared meals. Both are important to retirement living and aging well, regardless of where you live. Ridgecrest has also been reinvesting in the building and grounds with updates throughout our campus, including new siding and roofs in our Cottage community and major upgrades to Terrace Independent Living which is currently under construction. Because we are a mainstay of Davenport, keeping our campus pristine is also reinvesting in the greater community for decades to come. It is important.

Many people tend to transition in steps; first to a smaller yard, maintenance free as possible for everything. For some, the next step may be a condo or apartment, not affiliated with any senior housing. We have many choices to make as we age in terms of where we plan to live on the next step of our journey and beautiful grounds and landscape are a plus.

If you would like to see what this is all about, Ridgecrest is hosting a Cottage Open House every Wednesday in June from 1- 3 PM…just follow the signs. If there is a move in your future, you owe it to yourself to take the time to do the research to find the best fit for you.

Julie Arndt, is a licensed social worker and Director of Marketing at Ridgecrest Village with over 30 years’ experience working in the field of geriatrics and senior advocacy. She can be reached at jarndt@ridgecrestvillage.org.