Dick and Mollie Cotten moved to Masonic Village at Sewickley in August 2020. Without worrying about home maintenance, yard work or meal planning, they’ve been busy making new friends and learning new things.
The two visit the wellness center and participate in aquatics classes. They play mahjong and take trips to concerts and plays in the city. Mollie volunteers on the recreation committee, which provides feedback to staff on what events and programs to schedule.
“It’s so convenient for residents,” Mollie said. “You don’t have to drive into city. They provide transportation.”
She’s also a greeter for new residents, making sure their learning curve is lessened and they have quick access to services, including technology which provides online connections to event calendars, dining menus, the campus library and resident-recommended services in the local community.
“It’s definitely a community environment. People work together to help you out,” Mollie said. “Administration keeps us informed about what’s going to transpire. Eric [Gross, executive director] wants the best for the residents.”
Mollie and Dick started looking into retirement communities after their son was transferred to Florida, and they knew they’d need continuing support.
“As an adult, you plan your vocational path, and then you need to plan for your future beyond that,” Mollie said. “You’re not going to live forever.”
After visiting Masonic Village, with all its woods and wildlife, the Cottens were reminded of their hometown, Greenville, Pennsylvania.
“When we drove on the campus, it was absolutely beautiful,” Mollie said. “The grounds are well-maintained, people are friendly and it’s a very clean environment.”
The number one thing Masonic Village provides, in their opinion, is a continuity of care, so they can receive skilled nursing care if they ever need it. They joined the priority wait list, and “when we were ready, we just called, and they made it happen,” Dick said.
“We wanted to be able to make the decision to move when we wanted to, not when we had to,” Mollie said. “It’s good to have a solid plan.”
“Masonic Village offers us so many things and takes care of everything,” Dick said. “It’s carefree. You can do what you want and be involved in something 20 hours a day. All the services are there.”
The assistance that’s available if needed, combined with the freedom to do what they want, makes Masonic Village the “best of all worlds,” Mollie said.
“We considered this decision to be one of the most important we had to make in our lives. We’re so glad we came to Masonic Village. It’s all we thought it was going to be and more.”
