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The Journey to Clare Oaks: One Resident's Story
By Geri Karolewski
Taking a tour of Clare Oaks and its beautiful surroundings is the easy part. There is no denying it is a wonderful place, well-run by a caring and capable staff. Taking the next step is the hard part – it requires making a life-changing decision.
 It is a very difficult decision, so why wait for your children or someone else to shoulder the burden of choosing where you will live? Why not make the decision for yourself while you are still able and begin enjoying true freedom, peace and happiness?
Do you ever heal folks say things like, "I like living in my own house," or "I've lived here for so many years, they will have to carry me out of here on a stretcher." (My own husband is responsible for the latter comment!) Or how about, "I want my freedom." But I believe the tide is turning as more and more people watch their friends move to retirement communities like Clare Oaks where they can be truly free from the worries of home ownership and maintenance.
True freedom is putting a plan in place before what could be the inevitable: you begin to need more care than you can handle on your own. That is a frightening concept. Your children have their own responsibilities, especially during these depressed economic times. Freedom? You have now become a burden, and that is the last thing you wanted for yourself or your family.
The biggest obstacle to most people considering the move to a retirement community like Clare Oaks is the inability to accept that even though they must give up their current home and surroundings, it may be a good decision and possible a necessary one for the future.
Nothing was more true for me and my husband, and we were reminded of that shortly after we moved to Clare Oaks. My husband had a mild stroke while in our cottage residence. We were able to contact the staff nurse who took his vital signs and called a doctor, who recommended my husband be taken to the hospital immediately. It happened to be a snowy day with hazardous driving conditions, but the helpful Clare Oaks driver was able to take us to the hospital and even pick me up later in the day to bring me back home. I am sure the outcome could have been much different if we had not had this help available to us.
A time of crisis is not the time to start exploring your options. I have heard so many friends who have experienced a crisis and then say, "What do we do now?"
True freedom and independence come when you have a solid plan in place before something bad happens. Having that plan brings you peace, security and freedom.
If more people could come to terms with this, it would be a huge step in the right direction. Yes, it is a very difficult decision, but once you have made the commitment, I think you will begin to see what a solid decision it is.
If only people knew how liberating it can be to make this decision...it's not only a matter of maintenance-free retirement living, it's much bigger and more important than that. It means giving yourself and your family the peace of mind that you will be taken care of, no matter how your health care needs may change. It means you have adopted a new lifestyle that is not only fulfilling, but can give you the help you need if you become unable to care for yourself.
I encourage you to do start exploring your options now, and soon you may be saying the same thing I have heard numerous times throughout the hallways of Clare Oaks when residents are asked if they are happy here: "What more could I ask for?"
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