By Terrie M. Roberts
Imagine a life where you don’t have to do anything but enjoy your best years.
Your retirement should not be full of worries about home maintenance and yard upkeep, but it should be full of hours in your day to do what you have always wanted to do: Travel more, enjoy the company of family and friends, pursue creative passions, develop a new hobby.
All these endeavors take time, time that you may not have if you’ve always got a list of chores and repairs. And at an age when home and yard work can be physically difficult and the expense of maintaining both a motivator to downsize, the idea of a maintenance-free lifestyle has quite an appeal. Who wouldn’t enjoy freedom from the monotonous and strenuous upkeep of a house and yard?
Such a lifestyle can be found at The Oaks of Louisiana, a gated senior living community with 24/7 security.
There are senior adults who feel there is no real reason to move into a community like The Oaks unless they need the services and support of assisted living. There are many, however, who will happily dispel that line of thinking. They can give you a number of reasons – maintenance-free living topping the list – why you should move to a senior living community and into an independent living residence like Tower at The Oaks or Garden Apartments at The Oaks before you actually need assistance. Or, before a life event requires a higher level of care such as skilled nursing.
Maintenance-free independent living at The Oaks means we handle housekeeping, lawn mowing and inside/outside maintenance. But we also offer a complete range of services and amenities designed to reinvigorate the quality of your life. We want you not only to live here but thrive.
Maintenance
In a house, if something needs to be repaired you do it yourself or you wait on a repairman, but not at The Oaks. If you have a problem, you pick up the phone and it’s taken care of. “We offer peace of mind,” says James Parkerson, maintenance manager. “If there is ever any unforeseen issue, a maintenance tech is available to help 24/7.”
Through the maintenance department’s proactive program, you don’t have to worry about the upkeep of your home – exterior or interior. Air conditioner filters, appliances, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors are checked monthly. It is a wonderful service at a time in life when you may no longer have the desire or the energy to keep your home in tip-top shape.
Housekeeping
A clean environment enhances one’s quality of life believes Tom Logsdon, housekeeping manager. He and his staff want Oaks residents to have the best environment and the best quality of life they can.
Attention to detail is evident throughout the campus, most notably in the common areas. It is not unusual to see staff cleaning carpets, washing windows, removing trash, dusting or even cleaning exterior patio furniture in the gardens and on patios around the property.
Apartments are cleaned weekly at the Tower and biweekly or monthly at Garden Apartments. Housekeeping includes removal of linens, making beds, vacuuming, light dusting and cleaning bathrooms, kitchens and floors.
Campus and Grounds
As pristine as housekeeping keeps the interior, campus and grounds staff keep the exterior as immaculate. Residents no longer must concern themselves with pull cords, push mowers or finding a reliable landscape contractor. Acres of manicured lawns and beautiful gardens are mowed, trimmed, fertilized and weeded by a full campus and grounds staff whose goal is to make each resident “feel as if he or she has a personal gardener and lawncare service.”
A dedicated team of grounds keepers walk and drive the property each morning to seek out any plants or weeds that need to be removed, leaking sprinkler heads or unwanted debris that may have made its way onto campus overnight. Staff check the overall landscaping to make sure all shrubs, trees, flowers and grass areas are getting the right amount of water through the irrigation system to keep everything looking great.
It is the goal of the campus and grounds crew to generate amazing landscape beauty for residents to spend time enjoying … without getting their hands dirty … to strive to give them personal bragging rights on their plants, flowers, shrubs and trees with their families and friends.
Transportation
While you may not be ready to give up your car, living at The Oaks means you won’t have to drive as often if you choose. Unlimited scheduled transportation is provided to appointments, hair salons, barber shops, banks, grocery stores, or even to visit a friend. In addition, there are opportunities to go on group outings to the symphony, restaurants, museums and shopping malls.
Dining Services
As with driving, cooking is optional at The Oaks as well. Dine with friends, make your meals at home or do both! You will love the chef-prepared restaurant-style meals that are nutritious, inspiringly creative and don’t skimp on taste. “We want residents to look forward to every meal,” says Chef William Weithaupt, corporate chef. “Our culinary team cultivates a nutritious menu that ranges from traditional comfort foods to unique tastes from around the world. We do not want residents to have monotonous meals.”
Activities
When you leave the housekeeping and maintenance tasks to The Oaks’ friendly staff, you’ll have more time to spend on the activities you find most important. Pursue any of your own interests off campus or choose from a number of opportunities on campus to exercise, socialize, learn, create or explore each month. The calendar is comprised of health and wellness classes, spiritual life programs, book reviews, group excursions, socials and more.
What a way to spend your best years … loving the lifestyle, loving the community, loving the freedom.