Speaker 1
Good Saturday morning to everybody. Welcome to your next chapter, a production of Avery Heights Senior Living Community. Avery Heights is a 43-acre senior living community with a full continuum of care, including independent and assisted living, memory care, and a whole lot more.

Speaker 1
Now, this show will provide helpful tips and resources for older adults that will empower and encourage you in your life journey. From topics related to physical, emotional health, to financial health, and senior living communities, and a whole lot more. Siobhan, good to see you.

Speaker 1
Hey. Long time no see, actually. Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 1
Yes. You’re looking great.

Speaker 2
I feel great.

Speaker 1
You should.

Speaker 2
Yeah.

Speaker 1
You were away for a little while. I did. I went on vacation.

Speaker 2
I went to Disney.

Speaker 1
I know. All right. So you had this big buildup.

Speaker 1
We’ve known you were going to Disney a month before you actually went to Disney. Yes. So we’re all expecting a full report on this.

Speaker 1
It was phenomenal.

Speaker 2
It was phenomenal. Yeah. We had a really, really good time.

Speaker 2
Lots of rides. I got to see Mickey, Minnie. Minnie actually liked my earrings.

Speaker 1
Okay.

Speaker 2
Very cool.

Speaker 1
We know really you have this thing with Donald Duck, though, right?

Speaker 2
He blew me a kiss. Yeah. My husband, like I said, he actually did get jealous. It was really cool.

Speaker 1
As you should.

Speaker 2
It was really cool. It was just me at the time. He clearly has money, right? Well, yeah, of course. I saw Chip and Dale.

Speaker 1
The Chip and Dale?

Speaker 2
Yeah, Chip and Dale. Chip and Dale. Oh! The Chipmunks. No, not the Chipmunks.

Speaker 1
I didn’t…

Speaker 2
Chip and Dale, two separate Chipmunks.

Speaker 1
I’m not as familiar. Okay. They’re characters?

Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1
Okay.

Speaker 2
Yeah, I love the characters. My husband thought I was crazy. You need to grow up. I think I was more excited than the kids.

Speaker 1
You’re a big kid after all.

Speaker 2
I am a big kid.

Speaker 1
Were you down there when they had that big hurricane?

Speaker 2
Right after. Right after. After? Yeah.

Speaker 1
Was there aftermath?

Speaker 2
A little bit on the highway. Yeah, a little bit on the highway. Orlando didn’t get hit as hard, so there was a little bit, but not that bad.

Speaker 1
Yeah, well, there were more inland.

Speaker 2
Yeah, the good news is there were no tolls.

Speaker 1
There’s no more tolls in Florida?

Speaker 2
No, just after the hurricane. Oh, because they were out.

Speaker 1
Boy, this is…

Speaker 2
Just for the hurricane. And there were tolls everywhere.

Speaker 1
Yeah, that I do. I was going to say, that’s why you threw me off when you said that.

Speaker 2
Yeah. We went to International Drive, too. Oh, my God.

Speaker 2
That’s where I used to stay. That is a dangerous place. The shopping is ridiculous.

Speaker 2
There’s everything. Everything. It’s every strip.

Speaker 2
Oh, that’s a huge strip. I mean, any store you could think of is, like, there. And it’s gorgeous.

Speaker 2
It’s like, it doesn’t look the same. Like, H&M looked like a castle. It was, yeah.

Speaker 2
It was very, yeah. Very dangerous.

Speaker 1
You were there for a week, right?

Speaker 2
Yes. We spent a lot of money.

Speaker 1
Did you spend all your time in Disney?

Speaker 2
A little bit. For the most part. My brother lives in Fort Lauderdale, so I went to go see him as well.

Speaker 1
That’s a couple hours away.

Speaker 2
He drove to us. Oh. Yeah.

Speaker 1
Even better.

Speaker 2
Yeah. It was really cool. I haven’t seen him in 11 years.

Speaker 2
Oh, jeez. That’s not good. I know.

Speaker 2
And he’s never met my daughter. Oh. So it was pretty cool.

Speaker 1
This must have been emotional.

Speaker 2
Yes. Yes. My brother’s very over the top.

Speaker 2
You think I’m over the top. He’s more than me. And so my daughter was like, she backed up.

Speaker 2
She was just like, because he was like, oh, my niece. And she was like, I don’t know you.

Speaker 1
Did they ever speak over the phone or you speak of

Speaker 2
she definitely calmed down pretty quickly. So she definitely got over it. Oh, this is the guy that sends me money.

Speaker 2
I was texting her. This is the guy that sends you money. Smile.

Speaker 2
I’m just kidding.

Speaker 1
How old is your daughter?

Speaker 2
She’s 13.

Speaker 1
All right. So this is right up her alley.

Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1
I’m glad she had a great time.

Speaker 2
Oh, my gosh. It was so much fun. Oh, the weather.

Speaker 1
Really quick. What did you think of it?

Speaker 2
The weather was great. It was warm during the day, and it was a lot of walking. But the night was phenomenal. So worth it. I mean, we sat by the pool, and it was just like, it was beautiful.

Speaker 1
When was the last time you were at Disney?

Speaker 2
14 years ago.

Speaker 1
All right. And what’s changed the most?

Speaker 2
Oh, my gosh. Because of COVID, you have to make reservations for everything. And you have to kind of – it’s more planning.

Speaker 2
When I went with my son, it was just, you know, hey, let’s do this. Hey, let’s do that. It’s a lot more – you have to be very strategic.

Speaker 2
Is COVID really an issue there? It’s not an issue. It’s not an issue here.

Speaker 2
We’re north. Yeah. But they definitely have the reservations.

Speaker 2
They put all the processes. They’re still in place. So you have to kind of really plan out.

Speaker 2
Like if you’re not up by 7 o’clock making reservations for parks and rides, you’re not getting on anything. Yeah, we learned that pretty quickly.

Speaker 1
And I know if I remember correctly, you had this special pass where you could jump the line.

Speaker 2
Yes, that was fun.

Speaker 1
That made you really popular with everybody in the line, right?

Speaker 2
It was like being VIPs, like being celebrities. The kids loved it. The first time we did it, they were like dancing.

Speaker 2
And they were grinning and smiling. I’m like, don’t smile so much. Put your head down.

Speaker 1
I’d be like, who’s this person? Who’s this person over here?

Speaker 2
The best ride was the Avatar ride. Oh, my gosh.

Speaker 1
I don’t even know.

Speaker 2
It’s like a virtual reality ride, and you feel like you’re flying.

Speaker 1
I just remember Space Mountain, and it’s a small world. Yes, that’s still there. That’s it.

Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1
And they had this roller coaster down this pink mountain or something.

Speaker 2
I didn’t do Space Mountain. I’m like, no, I didn’t do that. I did some of the rides, but I didn’t do it. The new one is Guardians of the Galaxy, and I heard the kids went on that, and that was crazy.

Speaker 1
You know what I did? Talked on the radio every day.

Speaker 2
Oh, nice. Oh, so yeah.

Speaker 1
I haven’t been anywhere.

Speaker 2
Do they still do that?

Speaker 1
What?

Speaker 2
Chips, because every year they used to do that at a station I worked at where you go down to Disney. Do they still do that? Yeah.

Speaker 2
Things have changed. I know. There used to be cruises.

Speaker 2
Nah. Oh, my gosh.

Speaker 1
Nah. I’m in this bubble every morning.

Speaker 2
Are you kidding me? Yeah.

Speaker 1
That’s it.

Speaker 2
It used to be cool. Yeah. I mean, not that it’s not cool.

Speaker 1
You had a good time for all of us, then.

Speaker 2
Yes. Yeah.

Speaker 1
You brought a guest in with you this morning. I did. Please introduce him.

Speaker 2
So this is Bill Thompson. He is the administrator and VP of Avery Heights. He’s quite amazing.

Speaker 2
He does a great job, and he’s been there for quite a while. We had a good time at the golf tournament. And yesterday he was dressed as Forrest Gump and scared me to death.

Speaker 2
He came in my office. I didn’t have my glasses on. I’m like, oh, my gosh, is this a new resident?

Speaker 2
What is he doing?

Speaker 1
His life is like a box of chocolates.

Speaker 2
And he’s looking at me, and he’s showing me pictures, and I’m like, I don’t know. I put it up on my glasses, and I’m like, ow.

Speaker 1
All I knew is his name is Bill because in order to work at Avery Heights, your name has to be Bill.

Speaker 2
Yes, yes.

Speaker 1
we tease. Well, to be a director. A director. I’ll get three directors and are all named Bill.

Speaker 1
All named Bill. Yes. Well, Bill, welcome. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Tell us about you.

Speaker 1
What do you do at Avery Heights other than you’re a director? Director of what? I’m a director of the

Speaker 3
skilled nursing facility, also the VP of Avery Heights. I oversee 199 long-term and short-term care beds. I have 156 employees, 12 directors, and we have fun what we’re doing. I know that. We run a short-term rehab unit in which we’re very busy, do about 30 emissions every month, 30 discharges every month. We have long-term care as well, and we have intermediate care

Speaker 1
for those who just need just a little help. I commend you, yet I’ve never met you, And I’ll tell you the reason why. From the moment that Siobhan had come onto this show and the guests that she’s had from Avery Heights, there hasn’t been a person who hasn’t absolutely loved their job.

Speaker 1
So whatever it is that you’re doing, whatever’s in the water there, keep it up because it’s seldom where you find the morale that high at a place of employment. Now, granted, you’re working in a field where you have to love what you’re doing because, let’s face it, you’re with the most vulnerable portion of our population, right? And I would imagine there’s challenges.

Speaker 1
Like every job has challenges, but yours, I think, hit a little closer to home.

Speaker 3
Absolutely. We have fun every day because we love our residents. They’re our grandparents.

Speaker 3
We are their family. So taking care of them and watching them have fun at the facility, it’s just amazing. Between like having children, children and elderly, they’re great.

Speaker 1
How long have you been there?

Speaker 3
I’ve been there a little over six years. I’ve been in the business. I’ve been an administrator for over 30 years. And I ended up at Avery Heights because of the facility, the different levels of care that we have. So I made the choice to join Avery six and a half years ago, and I have not regretted it.

Speaker 1
I’ll bet.

Speaker 3
What is a continuing care retirement community? It’s like a it’s a it’s a life care community. It’s a community that you could retire to. We have everything on campus that you need from cottages to independent living, assisted living if you just need a little help, to skilled level of care where, God forbid, you end up in a hospital or you’re sick and you need that extra therapy. We can bring you in and rehab you and get you back to your apartment or get you back to your cottage with continuum care from home care to whatever care you need.

Speaker 1
Memory care, I’m thinking. That speaks for itself, but how does a person know whether they want to go into a cottage or whether they want to live, I guess, in rooms that are not cottages, right? Yes.

Speaker 1
Yeah. Yeah. How do you know where a person belongs or should be?

Speaker 3
We have a nurse on campus that does the assessments. So if we have a new resident coming in to live, we’ll be able to place that resident where they will be safest. So if that resident is independent like I am, that I can do everything for myself and I really like a cottage life, maybe that’s for me. Or maybe I want to be closer and live in the independent apartment right at the Heights itself and be closer to the dining room.

Speaker 3
Or if I’m a little bit forgetful and that I’m not safe to be on my own, Maybe I do need memory care with that assistance. So the nurse that is on campus will be able to assess us.

Speaker 1
People can come and go as they please, right?

Speaker 3
That is correct, unless you’re in a skilled nursing facility. Right, right, of course.

Speaker 1
The levels of care that you were just mentioning in the assessment that is produced, who does this? Is this done in conjunction with family members of the individual that will be residing there? How is this determined?

Speaker 3
Yeah, our nursing director and RN will be doing the assessment, but the family does play a big part in letting us know what this resident is capable of and what the person is not capable of. So both between the family as well as the nurse assessing, as well as the resident herself or himself, they can give us vital information as well.

Speaker 1
You want to weigh in on this?

Speaker 2
Yeah, I think it’s all about trust, too. Usually when I’m, you know, one of the first people that meets with them and my counterpart, Marissa, at the skilled side. And so when we’re sitting there, a lot of times families want to kind of hide stuff.

Speaker 2
And we kind of have to build that trust to let them know that the more information we have, the better we can serve you. the better we can sue your loved one because it does no one any good if, you know, you’re not being truthful because we’re going to find out anyway because normally we send out a physician statement to the doctor. We get that back. The nurse sits there. You know, they’re professionals.

Speaker 2
They’ve been doing this for a long time so they can see and read between the lines. And so we try to pull it out of them and make them feel comfortable. There’s no judgment. It’s not judgment. You know, a lot of times families are estranged or they haven’t seen mom in a while or whatever it may be. You’re living in Colorado and she’s here. We’re not there to judge. We’re here to take care of your loved one and to make sure that they’re safe, like Bill said.

Speaker 1
Is it a lengthy process?

Speaker 2
It can be. It really just depends. I mean, we can sometimes move someone within two weeks, but it really depends on the doctor, what’s going on with the person, if they’re in rehab.

Speaker 2
You know, it depends on many different factors. Sometimes we have to get kind of medication regulated if they’re going into memory care. It’s more successful that way.

Speaker 2
So they might go to like the hospital or to a gerry psych unit to kind of get that medication situated before they come into the environment because that way they can be more successful.

Speaker 1
If there’s independent living and an emergency should occur, is there medical staff on the premises or is 911 called from an outside source?

Speaker 2
It depends. So there is medical staff on – that can triage – 24-7. 24-7.

Speaker 2
There’s medical staff as well as our front desk. That’s to me – the medical staff, absolutely, but the front desk is there 24-7 because they’re kind of almost like – and we have security. So they’re almost like the bird’s eye view.

Speaker 2
They can be there to see it all. The resident could just call down and say, hey, someone’s at my door or hey, whatever’s going on. And they can feel that security that there’s someone there that’s going to pick up that phone as well.

Speaker 2
And then the medical staff, they kind of command all of that. So if something’s going on, they would call 911. But nursing is involved as well, as well as we have aides there 24-7 as well.

Speaker 2
So there’s always someone there. And when you go there at night, I’ve been there early in the morning or later at night. It’s just like it’s dark outside, but there’s people running around and moving around out there.

Speaker 2
It’s a smaller crew, but it’s definitely not like a skeleton crew, which is nice.

Speaker 1
You know, it’s fascinating because you’ve got food, outstanding, delicious. I’ve heard all about this. Security.

Speaker 1
You’ve got medical staff 24-7. I mean, this is like a country club here. I mean, I think there’s a preconceived notion of senior living.

Speaker 1
I hate to use that. It’s such a cliche. This expression is not your grandfather’s senior living.

Speaker 1
I’m going back to like in the 60s or 70s, you know, where it was very like an institutional type of setting. Right. You know, this in you describing this morning and in the times in previous weeks, it really it sounds jolly.

Speaker 1
It sounds like it really is. It’s very. It sounds country club is like, yes, I’m going to go do this now.

Speaker 1
And then why don’t we meet over? And exactly.

Speaker 2
Yeah. Especially for the I love to see the couples when they come in. They’ve been at home.

Speaker 2
You know, maybe someone has dementia, the other person might have cancer or something’s going on. And they’re just that’s all they’re dealing with all day long when they’re at home. And then they come to Avery Heights and then they’re able to go to the social hour.

Speaker 2
They’re able to go see music. And I love when the couples get together and they’re they’re in the hallway and they’re talking about, OK, well, I’m going to go back to my apartment and I’ll meet you down at the exercise. And they’re living a life and it makes it so they can have a better quality of life in a safe environment with people there to help and assist them.

Speaker 1
What are the advantages then of continuing care retirement community?

Speaker 3
The advantages are that we have everything under one roof. You don’t have to leave campus. What’s nice about it is that if you can age in place, so as you need the help and assistance, we could move you to the next tier.

Speaker 3
Whatever you need, we have for you. We have a great dining room. If you want to go to dinner or lunch, you can.

Speaker 3
If you don’t and you want to stay in your apartment or what have you, you can. If you want to go to activities, there’s always activities going on. So there’s a little for everybody.

Speaker 3
We have out trips, a safe environment, safe community, and you build such bonds and friendships that you always have somebody there.

Speaker 1
What if it’s a Sunday and you just want to put the game on, sit down for a pizza and have a beer?

Speaker 3
And you can do that. We have small dining rooms that you can use. You can do it at your own apartment.

Speaker 3
They’ll deliver that. So you don’t even have to leave. So, yeah, it’s wonderful.

Speaker 1
Well, when I say country club living, I’m – it’s true.

Speaker 2
It is true.

Speaker 1
Folks, you are listening to your next chapter, a production of Avery Heights Senior Living Community with – Siobhan, our guest, Bill Thompson, Administrative VP of Avery Heights. Why is the continuum of care so important?

Speaker 3
Well, first of all, you can age in place. You have a safe environment and it gives the families a peace of mind. The residents there have everything they need. So therefore, whatever obstacle gets in their way, we can take care of for them.

Speaker 1
I would think that the biggest obstacle that they would have, and correct me if I’m wrong, you certainly know more about this than I do, is just taking that first step and having them consider Avery Heights or senior living. Because sometimes, you know, listen, I’m only basing this on my own personal experience with my own family members or friends and things where they get used to routine in the surroundings of their environment that they feel secure in. this has always been my couch this has been i know where the bathroom is and this is i know my neighbors over here and and oh oh that guy there mows my lawn every every and then and that may be good for the time being but i think you and i’ve talked about this in the past where as you age even more you know and if you don’t have family around some family live out of state some live around some may live close to their parents but may not be experienced in in caring for their parents particularly as they become more elder right um is it difficult to convince someone that maybe it’s the right time to make that move i could see you weren’t quite there a year ago but right now you should start considering that is how big of a challenge is that to have them

Speaker 3
take that first step. You’re absolutely right. It is a very big challenge because they’re so used to their environment. What we like to do is invite them out for a tour. Meet the staff. We have a lot of longevity. We have customer service. We’ll make them lunch. We’ll make them feel at home.

Speaker 3
We’ll introduce them to residents. Once they come up on campus and see the beauty of it, it’s sold. I mean.

Speaker 2
And they’re with their peers too. So because the person next to them has just gone through the same situation. And they’ll tell those stories.

Speaker 2
Like I leave them alone. I love leaving them alone. And I love the fact because, you know, there’s hearing challenges.

Speaker 2
And they think I can’t hear them and I can. They’re like, my daughter dropped me off here. But I love it.

Speaker 2
You know, and it’s so cool to see that. To see that they’re, you know, and they’re like the residents that are there are always like when I’m on the tour, they’ll be like, oh, you’re going to love it here. Oh, you’re going to love it here.

Speaker 2
And I always do the little joke. I’ll give you your $20 later because they literally are like beaming, smiling when they’re telling the person. And they probably think, you know, you must be paying them, but they really are happy.

Speaker 1
I just I’m envisioning this. And I truly believe that once they’re there, it’s all downhill. It’s all this is easy.

Speaker 1
Once you’re once you see the surroundings, you know, and meet some of the other residents. It should be easy. It’s just getting them there.

Speaker 1
Is that a challenge as well? or sometimes the older you get, the more stubborn you become as well. I’m not going.

Speaker 1
Try it. There’s no commitment. We’re not signing any picks.

Speaker 1
Just go. What have you got to lose? Hey, they’re going to give you a free lunch.

Speaker 1
Walk around there. Spend an hour. Spend two there.

Speaker 1
Do you ever want to go back? Don’t. But at least take it in. I mean, does it take that kind of conviction?

Speaker 2
And I think that’s the good part about our campus is that we’re all just kind of chill. We’re just like – because we know we have a good product and we know we can help. But we don’t – we’re not pouncing on them.

Speaker 2
You know what I mean? Of course I do. It’s like take your time.

Speaker 2
And I have people that – I started back in May. I have people that back there now are – I’m getting that phone call. And like I do a gentle reminder.

Speaker 2
I’m like, how do you want me to keep in touch with you? That’s what I always ask my tour. How do you want me to keep in touch with you?

Speaker 2
How do you want me to follow up? And sometimes I might say, hey, I’ll call you. And I’m all right with that.

Speaker 2
You call me. I think that’s important because it’s a big decision. But the one thing I will say, I’ve been there since May, and I’ve worked at a couple different senior living communities.

Speaker 2
And I will say, you know, we’ve had people leave. They’ve gone to the next level of skilled or unfortunately, you know, they might pass away. But we have not had anyone leave to go to another community.

Speaker 2
And I was looking at my stats, and I was fascinated by that because you always got to go back as a marketing salesperson. You got to look at your stats. And I was looking at, you know, why people left and so forth.

Speaker 2
And I swear no one has left to go to another community. They’ve either gone, like I said, onto our continuum of care or maybe to our memory care or something like that. But no one has walked out that door with their suitcase saying, I’m out of here.

Speaker 2
That to me is huge. Yes, I am actually. As you should be.

Speaker 1
Tips. What are some tips that maybe you can give some people when searching for the right continuing care retirement community? What should they be looking for?

Speaker 1
And what should be maybe a red flag? Don’t just run. Run away.

Speaker 3
Yeah. Well, I think the biggest tip is customer service and friendliness of staff because you have to feel comfortable when you come into that facility and be able to see and the smiles and what we offer. If you get a bad vibe as soon as you walk through the door, it might not be the right spot for you.

Speaker 3
Check out our food service. Keep your nose always open. Smell the food. Smell the hallways.

Speaker 3
And lastly, you always want to check for hidden costs. We have no hidden costs. Everything’s up front, like Siobhan says.

Speaker 3
We’re up front and we’ll tell you because we don’t like any surprises, just like the families as a residence don’t like surprises.

Speaker 1
Maybe even talk to other residents.

Speaker 2
Yes.

Speaker 1
Are they allowed to co-mingle with other people?

Speaker 2
Oh, yeah. And I leave them alone. I don’t like if they’re starting to get a rapport with a resident or sometimes I might set it up, a phone call or something like that. I like them to be alone because I don’t want them to feel like I’m standing there so they can speak freely. I think it’s important.

Speaker 1
Forgive me for this question. It just occurred to me, though. Do you have a welcoming committee?

Speaker 1
Yes. You do? Yes.

Speaker 1
Oh, yeah. I’m talking about residents.

Speaker 2
I don’t mean staff members. Oh, no. Yes, we have a welcoming committee, and they’re amazing. Yeah.

Speaker 2
They put the bags together, and it was funny. They show them around, and actually they show them things that I don’t know because I’ve been there since May, And all of a sudden, one of our welcoming committee folks, he was showing them how to get back into the building through some side door or something, which I was like, where is that? Where is he going?

Speaker 2
You know, and then I’m following along on the tour. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 2
It’s pretty cool. Yeah.

Speaker 1
When you go into work every morning, are you just not amazed at how cohesive your programs, your staff, you seem so in sync with each other?

Speaker 2
Yeah, we have a really good team. And our front desk is amazing. Tenere and Marsha, I’ll give you a little shout out. They are amazing. They do a great, great job.

Speaker 1
I’m going to ask East this question. Sadly, I’m running out of time. We’ve got a couple of minutes left.

Speaker 1
Why Avery Heights? And I say this with respect. There are other facilities that are out there that seem to be okay.

Speaker 1
And there’s places we should stay away from, make no mistake about it. But why Avery Heights? Bill, you’re our guest.

Speaker 1
I’ll ask you first.

Speaker 3
first of all, we have such longevity of staff. We’re just going to do our award ceremony in December. We have a 35-year veteran.

Speaker 3
We have four 30-year of service awards given out and many 20 years. I feel like I’m the new guy on the block, six and a half years. Not exactly, no. That tells you something right there, longevity of staff.

Speaker 3
Nobody leaves, which is great customer service, great quality of care for all of our residents. We’re a four-star facility, according to Medicare.gov, and we have such quality of care that we take pride in. So Avery Heights, to me, it’s your home that you want to be at.

Speaker 3
We make you feel like home, and that is such a big selling point.

Speaker 1
That’s a hard answer to top, Siobhan. I know. We took all my answers. That was outstanding. I’m like, how do you top that?

Speaker 2
Well, I will say, like I said, I worked for a couple other senior living communities, and we’re a nonprofit. And I think one of the things I love is that we’re allowed to care. Like I’m allowed to let someone walk out the door and tell me that they’re going to call me.

Speaker 2
I’m allowed to do that. I don’t have to be like, oh, no, no, I got to call you. I don’t have to, even though they told me they’re going to call me, call them and email them and bother them, bother them, bother them.

Speaker 2
I don’t have to do that. I’m allowed to actually take the time to walk a resident back to their apartment. I don’t have to always be marketing, marketing, marketing.

Speaker 2
I can actually care. And that I love, that I’m allowed, that like no one’s going to come in my office and say, oh, you know, you’re not supposed to be doing that. They allow me to still be a part of the residents’ lives after they move in.

Speaker 2
And I will say as a nonprofit, I’ve always wanted to work for nonprofits in your living community, specifically this one. I watched the girl, one of the girl before me, she was there 15 years. And I was just like, are you ever going to leave?

Speaker 2
and then here I am so I’m really really grateful

Speaker 1
you have a big event coming up right this upcoming Thursday

Speaker 2
yes for Veterans Day yeah you’re going to be there

Speaker 1
I’ll be broadcasting the morning show

Speaker 2
live from there we’re unveiling our Veterans Wall it’s actually already up on the wall it’s all covered I got to see it it looks amazing we’re really excited can’t wait

Speaker 1
Jimmy J on my producer yes

Speaker 2
he’s handed out 20 years in the Marine Corps

Speaker 1
he’ll be there as well I gotta get there early though I gotta get there shortly

Speaker 2
five yeah i’m only nine minutes away i’m so excited i used to work up in the berkshires two and a half hours i’m like nine minutes away i might be in jeans just you know you and me both

Speaker 1
you and me both sure folks you’ve been listening to the latest edition of your next chapter senior living with avery heights for more information on today’s topic uh continuing care retirement community, please call them. 866-537-1444. I’ll repeat that phone number.

Speaker 1
866-537-1444. In fact, the first three callers will get a special lunch and tour at Avery Heights. And I’ve heard so much about this food.

Speaker 1
Don’t you know I’m taking you up on that when I see it Thursday night? They’re having lamb, actually, like a lamb. Is that right?

Speaker 1
Yeah. I want to thank our guest this morning, Bill Thompson, Administrator VP of Avery Heights. Thanks for being with us this morning.

Speaker 3
It was my appreciation. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1
For Siobhan Mattingly, I’m Gary Byron. Until next weekend, thanks for listening. Have a good one, everybody. So long. Legenda Adriana Zanott.