Betty: Life Enrichment Director

Enjoy this interview with Betty regarding the life enrichment program at The Waterford a Touchmark community. She discusses how events in the community are resident driven. What I observed is that because of this the community residents are extremely involved and excited. Watch and learn!

Willie's Moment: He is a STAR!!

Willie loves it at the Waterford Touchmark!

So many people have welcomed him and come to pet his soft head. It seems there is not a soul at the Waterford who does not like to pet a soft Golden Retriever. As we go to leave in the evening for our walk it takes 30 minutes to get out the door. There are residents coming down the hall that heard he was here and they ask us to wait. It turns out he is quite the draw. Willie loves nothing more than to snuggle up to someones leg and have his head rubbed. When one resident is done he goes to the nest. I have always believed it was Willie's calling to be a therapy dog. It looks like my trek around town to visit retirement communities is fulfilling this in his life. While bringing joy to the folks that live here he is experiencing the gift of sharing his warmth and comfort with those around him. It melts my heart to see the reaction between Willie and the residents. After our stay I can assure you, Willie will be back to visit...he loves to stay in touch with his friends.





A welcome from The Waterford

This video represents how new residents to the community are greeted and made to feel welcome. These two ladies co-chair the welcoming committee and along with the rest of the the committee go out of their way to make people feel right at home. Betty and Virgina two lovely ladies working hard to make a difference in the lives of those around them.

Day one: Waterford a Touchmark Community

I shot a short video about my first day here. What I did not include was my initial observations of the people who live here. I met some wonderful, warm people today who were willing to share some of their personal thoughts about life in general and specifically here at Waterford. At both lunch and dinner the ladies I spoke with shared how important your attitude is to your happiness and contentment. In their heart they believe strongly there is no reason not to be happy here. They shared how anything you might desire is available to you. They talked about the importance of not getting stuck in a rut and thinking that nothing is good because the person you are hurting is yourself.  I know this may sound simplistic however if you think about the context of it being our first meeting and the fact these insights came from 3 women in their 90's it seems worth mentioning. We all know attitude is everything but how wonderful that even in your 90's people are making the conscience decision to wake up every day on the right side of the bed!

Final Thoughts from Rockwood South

As I sit here and ponder all I observed and learned during my stay at Rockwood South I realized it felt like a well oiled machine. There was not a single item that did not impress me. The staff shows a true passion for what they do..ask me about the stability of the staff. Most of the management have been here 10 plus years. Alan, the CEO of all three Rockwood campuses has been here for 20 years. Rockwood South boasts a 50 year legacy of outstanding service and caring for the residents who have chosen to live here.

As I strolled the 90 acre campus it seemed there was not a flower out of place. Everything was beautifully landscaped and is all done by the staff who clearly take pride in their jobs.
The south campus features 165 homes. The tower for the independent residents, assisted living and dementia is home to 400 folks. I was so pleased to see this community that welcomed me and happily showed me with great pride their lovely homes.

It is clear to me and anyone who spends time here that a feeling of excellence in every aspect of this lovely community is fostered by staff and residents a like. They opened their arms to me and I can't thank them enough for all the special efforts they took with my stay. You owe it to yourself to check it out!

Dessert at Rockwood

On the evening of July 18th I was invited to the beautiful home of Betty and Steve H. They had a special dessert party they put together with Candance and 6 other residents at Rockwood. The dessert was a fabulous array of sweets assembled by the Chef at Rockwood South. I am not sure which was more amazing the dessert or the wonderfully stimulating conversation between the folks that were gathered to share their thoughts and feelings with me why they enjoy living at Rockwood South. They all live in the independent homes. Mark, Dan, James and Joan all shared their stories that were unique to them. Most of them felt one of the reason they gravitated toward life at Rockwood is the accredited status...the only one between Seattle and Minneapolis. To them this was a huge factor. Also, important is the not for profit status and the Foundation that gives the residents a safety net. This foundation assures that if your funds are depleted...due to no fault of your own, you will never be asked to leave your home. This gives all the residents an amazing source of comfort. And another factor that sets Rockwood apart from many communities is that they are a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC).  What this means to the folks who live here is they can completely age in place. When living in a CCRC  if your health declines and you need to transition from independent to assisted living or dementia care it is available and you will not have to move to a new community. This gives them and their families true peace of mind.
I had such a wonderful time listening and sharing with these generous folks about all the reasons they chose life here. It is clear they love the life they have chosen. Yes, they have downsized from their long time family homes, but the benefits of living in their new community far out weighs the things they gave up. They now enjoy true peace of mind and easy living here at Rockwood South.

My tour with Candace

I had the privilege of receiving a private tour of the Rockwood South Hill Community. We began our tour in the beautiful modern lobby which is adjacent to the elevators and library. Across the lobby is the grand dining room where all the fabulous meals are served by a great group of caring young workers. The dishes are prepared and coordinated by the communities award winning French Chef.

 As we continued around the building I was struck time and time again how all possible measures are taken to offer every amenity to the residents. Some of the highlights are lovely welcoming lobbies on each floor. These lobbies are used for casual gatherings and also for floor resident meetings. Another rare opportunity for residents at a retirement community is to have the space and option of doing hobbies they have loved in the past. For example, one option is the woodworking shop at Rockwood South Hill. The folks who enjoy this hobby have the opportunity to work in this fully equipped workshop. They can work alone or on a community service project. Currently they are working on wooden toys they donate to children's groups in town. What a wonderful way to stay active and to give back to the community they love!

As my tour continued and we left the independent living community, we entered the assisted living and dementia floors. The wonderful observation for me here is there is virtually no difference in features or decor from one floor to the next. As I walked around I observed that from area to area special care is taken to protect the residents by keeping them comfortable and safe while still giving them the lovely decor of the rest of the building..

Everywhere I roamed I was delighted to see both residents and staff busily going about the duties of the day with a refreshing attitude. I saw happiness and a true passion for being exactly where they are at the moment.

My tour was completed after seeing the Forest Estate independent homes and the community building. The homes consist of numerous floor plans and lot sizes. One of the wonderful features of many of these homes is the way they are positioned on the lots. Often they back up to private green space with trees and wetlands spanning the back yards of their homes.  The community building is equipped with a kitchen area that always has refreshing drinks and fresh cookies. If you you are seeking a bit of exercise this is where you will find both a weight room and a full size indoor pool. There is something for everyone here at Rockwood South Hill. Come check it out for yourself I am sure Candace will be delighted to share the community with you as well!