We hope the current winter won’t rival 1996 when a blizzard on Jan. 7-8 dumped a record 30 inches of snow on Lancaster County. Nor would we welcome the sub-zero days of 1994—particularly Jan. 21, with a record low of minus 18 and a high of 9 degrees. Still, we can anticipate some very cold … Continue reading Tips for winter weather safety from our senior residential living community
Have you ever been to an arts and crafts show or a county fair, seen the handiwork of skilled artisans, and thought, “I wish I could do that”? Well, if you’re in or near retirement, now is the time when you can stop wishing and start doing. Creative expression in senior living has benefits for … Continue reading Retirees find creative opportunities at active senior living communities
Jack and Jim Forsha now live at Brethren Village Retirement Community with their wives, Billie and Jean. Remarkably, their individual paths through life have been strikingly similar, with one rarely making a major decision without the other one. It’s who they are, it’s what they know, and neither of them would have it any other way.
“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more,” said writer H. Jackson Brown, Jr. Those of us who work year-round with hundreds of Brethren Village Volunteers can attest to the truth of that statement. We see their broad smiles and witness the camaraderie among them. A national survey of Volunteers a … Continue reading Volunteers find proven health benefits in lending a hand to help others
Two Residents at Brethren Village Retirement Community were the key sleuths in bringing joy to a family 300 miles away whom they had never met. You might call this “The Case of the Lost Testament.” Nick agreed with Leon, who said, “I am thrilled to have a part in finding the rightful owners of this valuable New Testament. After over 73 years, the mystery has been solved.”
Once you have decided to make the big move and have chosen your retirement home, what do you do next? The thought of moving may be exciting but possibly overwhelming as well. Adopting the philosophy of “short-term inconvenience, long-term improvement” might be helpful. Like many transitions in life, any current stress will give way to contentment. So, keep your goal of a more relaxed, simplified lifestyle fixed in your mind.
The best continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) support Residents’ spirituality by respecting their religious beliefs and ministering to their spiritual needs. They do that with an active, supportive Pastoral Services team, along with programs and events that reflect Residents’ faith, not just at Christmastime but the whole year long.
In the 1930s, Jessie Eckhart was the middle child in a non-traditional Lancaster family for that era. Her parents raised her and her sisters to participate in activities generally reserved for young men at the time, namely piloting airplanes and hunting. What’s even more surprising, though, is that Jessie, who moved to Brethren Village in … Continue reading Jessie Eckhart has her head in the clouds—and that’s just the way she likes it
The U.S. News & World Report list of best places to retire in the United States has ranked Lancaster, PA as—drum roll, please—#2 in its 2018 edition! In evaluating criteria that promote a high quality of life, U.S. News highlighted Lancaster’s lower tax rates for retirees, high-quality health care, happiness of local residents, housing affordability and low unemployment.
When Don Roland was a kid growing up in the city of Lancaster, he loved listening to music and longed to play the accordion. The odds were stacked against him as those were the years of the Great Depression, and family finances wouldn’t allow the luxury of a musical instrument and lessons.