Sponsored Content | Woodland Pond at New Paltz
Many of us don’t know or understand what a Continuing Care Retirement Community is or if any are located near the NY Capital Region. A continuing care retirement community (CCRC), also known as a life plan community, delivers independent living and an amenity-rich lifestyle with access to onsite higher-level care should medical needs progress. This continuum of care ensures residents have the stability of remaining in the place they call home.
Many seniors choose to retire at a CCRC while they are healthy and active, knowing that if they have a health-related emergency, or if they ever need age-related care in the future, there is a contractual commitment to provide care and services, with predictable monthly rates. Residents of a CCRC enjoy the peace of the mind of knowing that they have planned for their future health care needs and eliminated all “what-if scenarios”, allowing more time to enjoy a vibrant lifestyle filled with friendships, social activities, fitness and cultural programs.
New York – So many seniors, very few choices available.
In New York, there are about 13 continuing care retirement communities, located in the following areas: Williamsville, Orchard Park, Rochester, Pittsford, Ithaca, Goshen, South Setauket, Sleepy Hollow, Greenport, Port Washington, Valhalla, Rye, and New Paltz.
Unlike many other states in the country, where there are more than 1,700 CCRCs, New York has about a dozen. The idea of ‘buying into and securing’ a lifetime of access to care at all levels of retirement, which is the basic premise behind a CCRC, has been an idea that states like Florida and Pennsylvania have embraced, but not so much here in New York. You need only look up “The Villages Florida” to see what we mean by ‘embraced’. Why?
Many blame the high level of regulations in New York for there not being more CCRCs here. A number of financial and operational protections enacted to ensure New York’s retirees access to high quality and trustworthy service for life can create financial and operational hurdles that CCRC operators outside of New York State prefer not to contend with.
Woodland Pond at New Paltz, set on 83 half-wild acres overlooking the Shawangunk Ridge in the Village of New Paltz, in the upper Mid-Hudson Valley region, has since created a CRCC for New York’s retirees providing a one-stop-shop community for all things senior living with a continuum of care (Independent Living, Assisted Living with or without Memory Support, and Skilled Nursing).
One of the hardest decisions we face
“We have long said that our greatest competition is not another CCRC. It’s the long-time home of our prospective residents,” Woodland Pond’s President & CEO Michelle Gramoglia, says. “Our prospective residents grapple with the decision to leave their homes to come to a community setting, regardless of how dynamic, engaging, and supportive. We hear a variation on the same theme time after time with our prospective residents, they love the community but they just aren’t ‘ready’ yet. It’s a very common, yet challenging, perspective to change.”
Woodland Pond at New Paltz residents enjoying outdoor activities togetherTo help reassure prospective residents researching CCRCS, Woodland Pond gives prospective residents access to current residents and their peers. So many Woodland Pond residents want to share their path and how they made the decision. What did they consider when making their choice to move here? What did their families and friends think? Is it really as expensive as I fear?” Gramoglia explains.
Needless to say, the decision to make such a significant move is never a straightforward one, and patience is crucial for everyone involved.
Woodland Pond – One Residents’ Story:
Woodland Pond at New Paltz resident Dick Barry offered the following perspective on life at Woodland Pond. He found his way to this community with a great deal of gusto: he visited a handful of CCRCs throughout New York a handful of times each, and after all his travels decided that Woodland Pond would suit him best. His thoughts, here.
“In my eleven-year residency at Woodland Pond, I feel very blessed to have found a home I love and a vibrant, caring, inclusive community I treasure. Best of all, I have the comforting security of knowing that whatever health issues I might face in the future, I’ll be right here on campus, surrounded by friends and still enjoying the magnificent natural scenery that continues to enhance my daily living.
In pursuing writing as a second career in retirement, I have the luxury of quiet hours in a beautiful, spacious apartment, free from all maintenance care, to spark my creativity, followed by a rich social life each time I step out my door to keep me stimulated and connected. I also have the satisfaction of actively contributing to the ongoing welfare of my beloved Woodland Pond by serving on its Board of Directors.
To satisfy my varied cultural interests, each month our community buses take me to venues offering concerts, plays, dance recitals, museums, historical sites, and interesting excursions, while Manhattan is less than a two-hour public-bus trip away. A brilliant management team, a very caring staff, and truly stimulating fellow residents, many of who have become like family, all serve to amplify my enthusiasm in feeling that Woodland Pond is the perfect place for me.”
– Woodland Pond Resident, Dick Barry
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