A New Environment at CKV
Between 2006 and 2020, Cross Keys Village built 115 homes in the Bridgewater area, at the southwest edge of our campus. Generously sized Country Homes (single family) and Garden Homes (duplex) were adopted with enthusiasm by retirees preferring not to downsize… too much. Since Bridgewater cannot be seen from Route 94 or Route 30, visitors routinely exclaim: “I had no idea this was here.” ... Read More
Taking Villager Training By Storm
Vast amounts of information and updates flow between various groups in a large organization like ours. For this reason, there are elected leaders in each residential neighborhood in our community, who serve as the communication liaisons between the people who live here and the people who work here. We call these villager-leaders Village Council Delegates. Not all Village Council Delegates have previous life experience with such responsibilities. Some are born leaders, possessing natural abilities to take a leadership role. Others may not be so confident in their leadership skills but still willing to take on the challenge. ... Read More
Responding to a Community Need
Not everyone remembers that Cross Keys Village operated a Day Services program until March 2020. Providing excellent care at an affordable cost, the program was popular and well-attended. Unfortunately, it was housed in the Wellbrook repurposed cottage, a small building which made reopening after its COVID-19-related closure unpractical. Also shuttered in early 2020 was a Memory Care Resource Center, housed in our Mission Point Building and open to our neighbors in the greater community. As soon as the COVID emergency was behind us, Cross Keys Village leaders began planning a new space where both of those valuable programs could be resumed, in suitable and custom-designed surroundings. ... Read More
Appreciation and Gratitude
As the holiday season approaches, it’s a perfect time to reflect on people or things we are thankful for. Thanksgiving serves as a time to look back and appreciate anew the blessings in life, especially those we may have taken for granted. ... Read More
Forever a Student
While most villagers were born and raised in Pennsylvania, many come from other parts of the U.S. and quite a few are first-generation immigrants, hailing from countries as diverse as Italy, South Korea, and… Lithuania. Alvydas Karasa, a villager since 2016, is known to us all simply as Al. When Al was a young child in Lithuania, this small Baltic country with a rich and eventful history was still independent. Soon, however, World War II would see Lithuania occupied by Nazi Germany, quickly replaced by Soviet forces. Many schools, including Al’s, were destroyed and the teachers murdered or exiled. Many Lithuanians, expecting the worst, managed to move away while they could. ... Read More
Beyond Active Aging
For many years, in early fall, Cross Keys Village acknowledged the International Council on Active Aging’s “Active Aging Week,” with a week-long series of activities. Year in and year out, Active Aging Week at CKV was a large-scale undertaking, expertly coordinated under the auspices of our Wellness team. The ICAA's model for Active Aging Week is wellness-focused. However, not all the week's events at CKV were fitness related. If anything, some of the most popular moments of Active Aging Week at CKV tended to be the Villager and Team Talent Show, and a huge bonfire with musicians in attendance, not to mention grilled hot dogs and s’mores. Sunrise outdoor yoga was also a favorite. ... Read More
A Writing Assignment
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a significant yet “invisible” element of a marketing plan. It comprises ongoing tweaks to the content of a website, made in order to attain a higher ranking on search engines (the first page of Google search results being the gold standard). Today, our SEO partner WebFX has determined that the CKV website needs a long article (1,500 words) with the following title: “What Is the Best Age to Consider Moving to a Retirement Community?” ... Read More
Finding Your Way Through Grief
Contemporary culture tends to be all about youth, self-care, winning, and success. This leaves little room to discuss the process of death–or its aftermath for survivors. Can we even handle such conversations? When faced with mortality, we find ourselves instinctively closing up: Let’s not go there. If I avoid it, maybe it won’t happen to me or to those I love. ... Read More
Finding Where You Belong
It seems like just yesterday that Rich Hutchison was “absolutely against” moving from his longtime home in Annapolis to a retirement community. His wife June, however, saw the advantages and she persisted in suggesting such a move, backed by a chorus of good friends who had already made the jump. Slowly, Rich, a retired US Army Officer, started warming up to the idea and he began a spreadsheet comparing the merits of over 80 Continuing Care Retirement Communities, scattered all over the country. ... Read More
A Star Volunteer: RuthAnn Culp
Villager RuthAnn Culp has been a volunteer since she moved to CKV in 2017, rising rapidly to join the “500 Club,” an impressive group made out of volunteers who exceed 500 service hours in a given year. These star volunteers get a special accolade every April during our Volunteer Appreciation Day, when the team gives back to those who serve others so faithfully all year long. ... Read More