New residents who move into an Acts community quickly realize they’ve just joined one big, happy family: the Acts family.
What they may not realize is just how many Acts residents are related, as in the traditional sense, by family ties. More and more family members are becoming second-generation, sometimes even third-generation, Acts residents. Witnessing relatives thriving in an Acts community, it only makes sense for their family to follow in their footsteps and call Acts home.
Susan Dube and her sister Hulda Mahlum enjoy an evening with friends at Westminster Village.
"Third Gen" Moving In
“I’m a third generation Acts resident,” said Karen Howard, a resident of Brittany Pointe Estates, in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. “My grandparents moved in one; my parents moved into another, but I did my own research. I choose Acts for me and my own children, to know they’ll never have to worry, and I’ll be taken care of for the rest of my life.”
What’s more, many adult children are moving in earlier, taking advantage of prearranged healthcare at today’s dollars. They’re picking their perfect cottage, villas or apartments, eager to enjoy all the resort-style amenities that Acts offers. In recent years, it’s becoming more common to have two generations living on an Acts campus at the same time.
Rita Spina and her daughter Sue Palde enjoy the "good life" at Indian River Estates.
Sue Palde, her husband Lou, and Sue’s mother Rita are all residents of Indian River Estates in Vero Beach, Florida.
“We’re all very happy and active at the community,” Sue said. “My husband plays pickleball and loves the woodshop. I enjoy doing artwork, a hobby I haven’t done in a long time!”
Sue’s mother Rita Spina, who was hesitant to move at first, is enjoying life to the fullest. She recently turned 100 years old and still lives independently.
“Mom says over and over again how wonderful her life is,” Sue said.
Making ‘Everyday’ Memories
Family members living at Acts have more opportunities to share in everyday moments. They are grateful for the convenience of having their loved ones close enough to walk over and visit, to share a morning cup of coffee, a card game, or just to check-in.
Cecily Craig, who lived in the suburbs of Philadelphia, moved to Rock Hill, South Carolina, to be closer to her 98-year-old mother, a resident of Park Pointe Village. Now mother and daughter are together under the same roof in separate apartments, just one floor apart.
“It was important to me to be able to spend more quality time with my mother,” Cecily said.
Elaine Page and daughter Cecily Craig sharing their favorite reads in the library at Park Pointe Village.
“When I began to focus on my own retirement - in discussions with my financial advisors and my accountant - the idea of securing the future before it was critically necessary to so was a win-win,” she said. “Moving in now made sense, I didn’t want to wait until it was too late to then have to scramble due to illness or an emergency.”
Dottie Denza, decided to move to Lima Estates in Media, Pennsylvania, about two years after taking her parents on a tour of the community.
“This was a big decision for them, and I wanted to make sure it was the right one,” said Dottie, a former nurse who researched continuing care retirement communities and valued the importance of life care.
“My father passed away, but my mother was still here when I moved in. It was reassuring to see the excellent care they received,” she added.
Don't wait until it's too late! Explore the best age to move into independent living.
Siblings Together Again
Many more siblings are also moving into Acts communities. Brothers and sisters who haven’t shared a roof since childhood find themselves reunited, reconnecting, and having the time of their lives.
Sisters Susan Dube and Hulda Mahlum enjoy living on the beautiful campus of Westmister Village in Spanish Fort, Alabama. Their father was a resident of the Acts community many years ago, and he often told them, ‘I should have moved in sooner.’”
Susan Dube and her husband Jim took that advice to heart, but wanted to make sure it was the right choice financially.
“Jim and I moved in two years ago,” said Susan Dube. “I even brought my financial advisor with me to visit the community and ask all the pertinent questions. They said, ‘this is a no-brainer’ and even filled out all the paperwork for us!”
Within a few months, her sister Hulda and brother-in-law Dick moved in. The Mahlums never planned to move to a retirement community. They had just built their dream home along the water in Shalimar, Florida.
“They never, ever wanted to move! They were going to be wheeled out of that gorgeous house, one of them first and the other one after!” said Susan.
“We invited them to our new home at Westminster Village, and they had a blast playing pickleball and chair volleyball with us. They kept coming back to visit,” said Susan. “Just weeks later, they sold their home on Zillow in 24 hours and moved in!”
Hulda and Dick Mahlum strolling in the courtyard at Westminster Village.
Families Choosing Different Campuses
Other siblings move into different Acts communities, depending on where they want to live geographically. Elaine Rich lives at Tryon Estates in Columbus, North Carolina, and her sister Grace Karschner lives at Brittany Pointe Estates in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
Coincidentally, Grace and Elaine moved into their Acts communities hundreds of miles apart, on the same day.
“It all happened so quickly,” said Elaine, a widow of nine years who was looking for a place where she could stay physically and socially active. “The sales office showed me a fabulous apartment with everything I ever wanted. My daughter was here with me, we thought, I need to take it.”
Unbeknownst to her, sister Grace who had been on a waiting list for a three-bedroom apartment at Brittany Pointe Estates, got the call of an opening.
“The fact that our move-in dates happened to be on the same day, two different Acts communities, the stars aligned,” Elaine said. “We are both extremely happy.”
“I visited many of Acts communities from Pennsylvania to North Carolina and Georgia,” Elaine added. “Each one has a unique atmosphere, and the minute I walked into Tryon Estates, I felt this could be home. I didn’t know anyone and just felt so welcomed.”
Elaine’s sister Grace and her husband live at Brittany Pointe Estates, in Landsdale, very close to Fort Washington where the sisters grew up. As children, Elaine and Grace played with the daughters of Acts’ founders and watched Acts’ first community grow over the past 50 years.
“We’re grateful to live here, and if we ever want to live closer to each other, it would be very easy for one of us to transfer to the other Acts campus,” Grace said.
Brittany Pointe Estates resident Barbara Green shares the benefits of living at an Acts community.
The Beauty of Being Part of Acts Family
Even if you don’t know a single soul before moving into an Acts community, living at Acts feels like being part of a big, extended family.
Whether you share life experiences with neighbors, participate in the many activities on campus, or simply enjoy each other’s company over a delicious meal, the friendly and loving atmosphere at Acts resonates with everyone, regardless of whether they are related by blood.
“It’s just unbelievable, the friendliness and openness of the people you meet,” said Karen Howard, our third generation Acts resident. “This isn’t a place where you go and get old, this is a place you go to truly live.”
“My father moved in at 75 years old, and died just shy of 97,” she added. “The only reason I truly believe he lived that long was because he was active at his community. He had a support system, friends and another family that helped take care of him.”
This strong sense of community is what makes Acts a place where loving-kindness lives, generation to generation.
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