How to Successfully Move into a Retirement Community

Are you or your loved ones planning to move into a retirement community? If so, it is important to be as organized as possible to make the move go smoothly!

Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community created this list to help you make sure the move to your new home goes off without a hitch.

Before Your Move

When you decide to move to a retirement community, you are faced with an important decision: what to keep and what to give away. It is important to note that usually your move will be to a smaller home or apartment, so not all of your possessions will fit.

Many retirement communities have furnished homes and apartments for residents, so if you are moving, you may not need to worry about a lot of your bigger furniture. Try to measure your furniture to see what will fit within the floor plan.

Inheriting Independence: Springmoor Mothers Share Wisdom Behind Their—and Their Mothers’—Choice to Move to the Community

A sense of independence and adaptability: It’s a trait Dora Beal believes she inherited from her mother, and one she believes her daughters have inherited from her. It’s also the trait that led Dora’s mother to decide to move into Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community in the 1980s while she was still active, and what led Dora to move into Springmoor just one year ago.

“The wonderful thing about mother is that she was always adaptable. She saved me a lot of grief and worry, and made the decision herself to move here,” Dora said.

Springmoor is Excited to Kick Off Increased Wellness Offerings Next Week!

By Kari Richie, Springmoor Health and Fitness Director

Kari Richie

Who’s ready to expand their wellness horizons? Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community has certainly expanded its wellness offerings—and, as the community’s health and fitness director, I couldn’t be more excited!

At the Wellness Center grand opening on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., I’ll be helping with exercise machine demos and guests will be able to tour the new wellness rooms; get blood pressure, blood glucose and bone density screenings; enjoy a mini-massage and mini manicure, and much more!

Cleaning House: Sisters and Springmoor Housekeepers Give 30 Years to Community

Sandra Harris and Barbara Venson

When sisters Sandra Harris and Barbara Venson began working as housekeepers at Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community 30 years ago there was little for them to clean.

The community, which celebrates its 30^th anniversary this year, was made up of only a few buildings at the time. The sisters’ first duties were pulling stickers off of brand-new refrigerators, and sweeping construction debris off sidewalks. A few people lived in apartments, but not many.

Now, there are 391 residences, and 24 housekeepers. The residents—the sisters agreed—are the reason they keep coming back to work at Springmoor year after year.

Springmoor Floral Focal Points: Sustainable Landscapes

By Thom Morgan

Springmoor Landscape Manager

Thom Morgan

Everyone loves fresh fruit and vegetables; I always look forward to eating the first beefsteak tomato of the summer, sliced over a piece of toast, with mayonnaise and bacon. That goes the same for that freshly-picked ear of sweet corn (boiled just long enough until it is tender, with melted butter, and a sprinkle of salt on it). Yes--I am longing for the summer.

Not everyone has enough land, full sun, access to water, or the time to spend on growing fruit trees, and vegetables, though. 

Here are some ways to get around these problems, and incorporate fresh fruits, and vegetables into any landscape:

Springmoor Floral Focal Points: Trees and Shrubs for Fall Leaf Color

By Thom Morgan, Springmoor landscape manager 

Thom Morgan

After summer winds down, those of us living in the Northern Temperate Latitudes get treated to one last burst of color as leaves on trees begin to change. Daylight decreases from 15 hours to—eventually—10, causing leaves to compensate for the decrease in light; green chlorophyll fades as the other plant pigments stand out to produce red, orange and yellow. Finally, leaves drop due to what is called an abscission layer, which forms and allows leaves to break away.

Trees for fall leaf color:

Water Exercises Give Seniors Increased Strength, Stimulation and Quality of Life

Kari Richie

By Kari Richie

Springmoor Health and Fitness Director

Swimming is not just for kids or vacationers at the beach. You can find Springmoor residents in the pool Monday through Saturday as they faithfully participate in water exercise. The residents are unique – ranging in age from 77 to 96—and living with various health conditions—ranging from arthritis and osteoporosis to hypertension and  spinal stenosis and joint replacements; but they have one thing in common – they love to exercise in the water!

As Springmoor’s Health & Fitness Director, why do I encourage residents to participate in water exercise? Five reasons:

Springmoor Walks its Way to Fitness—and Paris!

Springmoor Walks its Way to Fitness—and Paris!

By Kari Richie, Springmoor Health and Fitness director

We just finished walking from Raleigh, N.C., to Paris, France, and, boy, are our bodies feeling the benefits.

Ninety Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community residents and staff just completed a 10-week walking challenge, S.A.M.E. (Springmoor Actively Making Efforts) Goal, and recorded walking the equivalent of 13,172 miles—or a little more than the distance from Raleigh, N.C., to Hawaii (about 5,000 miles), followed by a stroll from Hawaii to Paris, France (about 7,500 miles).