June 30, 2022
You’ve made the decision to upsize your retirement lifestyle and move to a Life Plan Community. Congratulations—you’re making a sound investment in your health, happiness and well-being for now and the future. A Life Plan Community provides an enriching and fulfilling lifestyle that will help you age well and enjoy your retirement years to the fullest. You probably already have grand dreams for what you’d like to accomplish during this stage of life, and when it comes to what you want out of your new community, your wishes should be rather grand, too.
“A Life Plan Community isn’t designed to just be a place to live—it’s an opportunity to enrich your life in ways you simply can’t get living on your own,” says Pamela Klapproth, CEO of Kendal on Hudson, a not-for-profit Life Plan Community serving older adults in the Quaker tradition in Sleepy Hollow, NY. “Life Plan Communities like Kendal on Hudson are designed with the specific needs of aging seniors in mind so that they can continue to dream, do and accomplish for many years to come.”
Pamela says that when you’re looking for a Life Plan Community, or even an assisted living community, you should make sure whatever you choose meets all your requirements, the majority (if not all) of your wants and includes some bonus surprises that you might not have previously thought about. “A community that ticks off all those boxes will mean that you have everything at your fingertips that you want—and more—so you can truly enjoy your retirement years,” she says.
While wants and needs can be different for every individual (just like it is when you’re buying a home for your family), there are some amenities and services that are pretty much “must haves” for ensuring an excellent lifestyle in a Life Plan Community or assisted living community. Here are some of the top amenities to look for, and why they’re so important for enriching your retirement life.
Wellness Opportunities.
Staying happy and healthy during your golden years naturally begins with wellness. The best Life Plan Communities offer many opportunities for seniors to live their best life, enhance their wellness and boost their health. An overall approach to health and wellness allows seniors to age better, live longer and stay independent for as long as possible.
Kendal on Hudson views wellness as encompassing physical, cognitive and emotional health. For physical wellness, we provide top-notch facilities and classes, ongoing support and one-on-one training with professionals. Cognitive health is enriched through our lifelong learning opportunities, engaging activities and opportunities for growth every day. Finally, our residents enjoy optimal emotional health thanks to the benefits, services and companionship our gorgeous Life Plan Community provides each and every day.
Delicious Dining
Food is one of life’s great pleasures, so when choosing a Life Plan Community considering the dining options is an absolute must. You’ll want a community that offers customizable dining options ranging from fine dining to bistro style in order to meet your preferences, dietary needs and favorite tastes.
At Kendal on Hudson, we offer two distinct venues: The Bistro and our Formal Dining Room. The Bistro offers three meals daily with a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is always a choice of menu and if there is something you would like to order that is not on the menu, our chefs will accommodate you. The Formal Dining Room is open for dinner where you can enjoy the same menu and have wait service. With delicious dishes including Baba Ghanoush Flatbread, Butter Rum Stuffed Acorn Squash, Lobster Ravioli, Beef Stroganoff and anything your heart desires … what’s not to love?
Security, Maintenance & Housekeeping.
Saying goodbye to things like cleaning house, grocery shopping and lawn maintenance is one of the most life-enriching things about moving into a community like Kendal on Hudson. Who has time or desire to deal with those tedious tasks? You never want to have to think about those things again, so when looking for a great Life Plan Community, look for one that has biweekly housekeeping services, linen service, all-inclusive utilities, 24-hour security maintenance and more. Here’s what we at Kendal on Hudson offer our residents:
- Biweekly housekeeping
- Weekly linen service
- Water, electricity, heat and air conditioning
- Trash removal and recycling
- Snow removal
- Interior/exterior maintenance
- Scheduled transportation service
- 24-hour emergency response system
Pampering Opportunities.
Many seniors don’t think about pampering opportunities as something they should look for in a Life Plan Community. But if there’s any perfect time in your life to be pampered, it’s now—in your retirement years. Look for a community that offers programs like tai chi or yoga, an on-site spa and salon, and other perks. That way you’ll not only feel your best, but you’ll also look your best. Kendal on Hudson offers all of these amenities, plus a gorgeous location, exceptional service and an atmosphere that is designed to make you feel like royalty.
Enriching Programming.
You have as much time as you like to pursue your dreams and be engaged in fulfilling programming. Be sure that whatever community you choose offers a wide array of planned activities, clubs, recreation opportunities and more. Lifelong learning is a core value at Kendal on Hudson, and we offer our residents a full schedule of classes, lectures and special events that bring in outside experts, as well as tap into the talents and expertise of residents themselves. In addition, we partner with Pace University to provide complimentary classes to expand residents’ current expertise or allow them to try something completely new; offer opportunities to serve as mentors to students, sharing their experience as accomplished academics, entrepreneurs and professionals; benefit from discounted admission to performances at Pace University’s Schimmel Center in New York City; and opportunities to root for the home team at local sporting events.
Opportunities for enrichment abound even beyond our campus. Kendal on Hudson is located in the famous Hudson River Valley, which offers a rich mix of history, legend, present-day cultural activities, fascinating historic houses, churches, and gardens—all located along one of the world’s great rivers. Each nearby village conducts street fairs and park concerts; art groups and historic sites also hold many special events throughout the year. For those who thrive on the pulse of the city, Kendal on Hudson is just 25 miles north of Manhattan, making it easy to live it up in The Big Apple.
There are many different things to look for when choosing the right Life Plan or assisted living community for you or a loved one. Life enrichment means many different things to many different people, but by looking for the amenities we’ve listed above, you’ll be well on your way to finding the perfect community for you to live your very best retirement lifestyle possible.
Together, Transforming the Experience of Aging.®
Founded on Quaker principles and guided by our values and practices, Kendal on Hudson provides a vibrant, active and social senior lifestyle on our 25-acre campus next to the historic Hudson River. As the only Lifecare community in Westchester County, we offer five levels of service for our residents: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Support, Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation.
Kendal on Hudson is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization led by a volunteer Board of Directors. Kendal on Hudson is an affiliate of The Kendal Corporation, a system of communities and services for older people based in Kennett Square, PA. We support diversity, inclusiveness, and independence and support the values and practices of Kendal by remaining focused on healthy aging. Located in Sleepy Hollow, New York, just 35 miles from New York City, we offer a vibrant lifestyle, cultural programs, continued learning and health care for life.
For more information, please call 866-KENDALNY .