If you could give yourself one gift, what would it be? For Judy Tart and Ronny Garnett, it has been to reduce the stresses of daily living, which has made it possible for them to enjoy activities and make new friends.
The ladies live in assisted living at Lisbet Health Center at Wellington Bay. The luxury rental senior living community provides independent living, assisted living and memory care.
Assisted living at Lisbet Health Center allows residents to receive the extra help they need to maintain their most independent lifestyle.
Look for either woman, and you’ll likely find them gathering with friends at the community for appetizers and a chat, playing cards or other games, enjoying a concert or performance, or any of the host of other fun activities the community provides on-site for residents.
You won’t find them worrying about the cost of maintaining their homes, wondering how to take care of minor tasks such as housekeeping, or trying to plan how they can travel to visit family or friends.
For both residents, the decision to move to the community has been a gift to themselves.
“It has been wonderful,” Garnett said. “I have everything I could desire right here at my fingertips.”
Choosing Lisbet Health Center has enabled Tart and Garnett to live without the cares and worries they’d had previously while living on their own in single-family homes. And they are both close to their families, who visit often.
“My family comes to visit any time they want,” said Tart, who has lived at Lisbet Assisted Living for six months.
Tart has gotten used to no longer having to take care of the tasks of daily living. Even changing a light bulb or washing clothes is made easy at the community.
“They do the laundry for me once a week here,” Tart said. “I don’t have to worry about it. They also have a lovely dining room. It’s very pleasant.”
She also no longer has any concerns about how she’ll get to doctor’s appointments.
“They have available transportation,” she explained. “You make an appointment, and you will be picked up.”
Both women agree that moving to Lisbet Health Center has opened a whole new world of friendship for them, and building new relationships isn’t difficult because of the variety of activities provided.
Tart meets with friends daily. “At 3:15 p.m., we have baking activities in the lobby, baking goods like cookies, coconut shrimp, or guava and cream cheese pastries,” she said.
“We play cards and all kinds of games, and we have sing-alongs,” Garnett added. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Garnett said that another gift to herself has been the one-bedroom apartment that she chose.
“It’s large, but not too large. It suits me well,” she said.
Tart said the warm, family atmosphere that Lisbet Health Center nurtures is another gift she is enjoying.
“You will make friends, and they will be like your family,” she said.
Garnett agrees that making new friends, even at the age of 86, has been one of the joys of living at the Lisbet Health Center.
She makes a point of wearing a smile and welcoming newcomers to the community.
“You make friends by smiling,” she said. “Everyone wants a new friend, no matter their stage of life.”
Wellington Bay is a rental retirement community featuring luxury apartments on a palm-tree-shaded campus in Wellington. Wellington Bay is owned and operated by Liberty Senior Living LLC, a division of Liberty Healthcare Management.
To learn more about Wellington Bay, visit www.wellingtonbayfl.com.