50+ Lifestyles

Aging and You

By Julie Arndt
Marketing Director at Ridgecrest Village

Take a moment to reflect and look
forward to opportunities for the future.

It is the most wonderful time of the year…just like the Andy Williams song dubbed it. It truly is a magical time that tends to bring out the best of us. Personally, it’s always been a time of reflection on Christmas childhood memories from long ago and those shared with my husband and our children. It is also a time to contemplate the past and welcome a brand-new year ahead.

Ridgecrest, a Davenport-based senior retirement community, is one of only a few in the Quad Cities which offers all levels of living. You don’t have to start out in independent living in order to go to our assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing facility. This year Ridgecrest made a huge decision to discontinue offering Lifecare in which you pay a significant entrance fee up front. Naturally, our existing Lifecare commitments are being honored, but moving forward we are strictly offering rental options to take advantage of all that Ridgecrest has to offer.

Pictured are Ridgecrest residents Susan Ellis, Eloise Graham, Sandy Hutchinson

There have been other changes on our campus. I get a little zing every day I come to work and zip down the newly paved drive and look up to see our cottages, all with new siding and roofs. The cottages are a little community of their own that grace the perimeter of the campus.

The tornado that destroyed so many of our beautiful trees was devastating this summer, but you wouldn’t know it looking upon the village green today. The rich beauty stands, and we were blessed with so many trees that remained untouched.

The Terrace building has undergone the most change. It’s been under reconstruction for the past year and looks beautiful with new siding, windows, patios, and decks. It is the third of our independent living apartment complexes, tucked in the back of the campus…some folks don’t even know it’s there. Terrace is five stories tall. All the apartments have a north-west exposure and each has its own patio. The layout makes for quiet and privacy, with no neighbors across the halls. The apartments come with all the benefits of senior living at Ridgecrest: one chef prepared meal a day, housekeeping every other week, transportation and utilities are included! And for those who have a yen to gather with others, there is a ready supply of activities to get in on, all under one roof.

The campus has had several other updates, including new flooring in assisted living and a new generator, too. But looking back, beyond the physical updates to our campus, I can’t help but think about all the new faces who have joined the Ridgecrest family, including new residents and their families, and the new team members who have joined our staff. This is the heart of Ridgecrest.

In my former life, I counseled families on how to find the right fit for their loved ones when it came time to make a change. It’s not about brick and mortar; it’s about the people and the feeling you have when you are in a particular space.  I always encouraged them to look at how the residents interact with staff and how staff interact with each other…it tells you all you need to know. Little did I know then that I’d been walking the talk today.

The holiday season is truly a special time of year. Take a moment to reflect and look forward to opportunities for the future. Blessings to you and yours this holiday season.

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.