For Ruth Wolsch, Meadow Ridge was the right place at the right time

When she and her husband started looking at retirement communities, she knew right away that Meadow Ridge was the one.

When it comes to planning for the future, not everyone is as organized and thorough as Ruth Wolsch and her husband.

Once they decided they were interested in moving to a senior living community, they knew Meadow Ridge was their first choice. Still, it took several years and 18 communities before they finally chose Meadow Ridge.

Planning for the Future

About ten years ago, Ruth’s husband, a psychologist, taught at Western Connecticut State University. On his way to and from the university, he passed Meadow Ridge, so one day, he decided to stop and see it.

He was impressed with what he saw. So when they received an invitation to a jazz concert on campus, they went. After the show, they toured the community.

They both liked Meadow Ridge, but, in the spirit of due diligence, the couple made a spreadsheet of Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) of interest in Conn., Mass., and Westchester County, and over two-and-a-half-years, visited 18 of them, keeping track pros and cons of each.

“Over that period of time, Meadow Ridge was number one, and it remained number one,” Ruth recalls. “We did not find another place that we felt equaled it.

“There were many other lovely places, no question. Some we immediately discounted because it did not appeal to us for one reason or another,” she added. “And with that two-and-a-half-year process, we came up with Meadow Ridge.”

Sold on the Benefits of a CCRC

Until they started their search, the couple had considered several options, such as downsizing to a smaller home or condo or living the snowbird life, splitting their time between two houses.

“A lot of considerations were being made for down the road; we were not up for moving at that point of our lives,” Ruth said.

While the couple was still deciding on a plan for the future, when they saw Meadow Ridge, they decided that was the direction they wanted to go.

They also knew from the start that they wanted a CCRC.

“We wanted something that had a continuum of care because we knew that down the road, there would possibly be a need for one or both of us at some point to need assisted living or even skilled nursing and did not want to have to then move again to accommodate that.

“We wanted a CCRC because should one of us need Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing, we did not want to have to travel from wherever we were at the point to visit the person who was in one of those facilities,” she added, noting that Meadow Ridge has everything in one community.

She said a CCRC like Meadow Ridge also offered an appealing standard of living. “We were sold on the CCRCs.”

A Comfortable, Independent Lifestyle

Ruth says living at Meadow Ridge had advantages over aging at home. First, there’s the benefit of a community and socialization, premier amenities, and no home maintenance.

“Snow removal, lawn maintenance, oil deliveries; everything that goes into maintaining a home that you don’t think about when you are living in it. It’s part of your daily living that you don’t have to consider at all here,” she said.

At Meadow Ridge, the residents are diverse and interesting,” she added, “which makes conversations and interactions very interesting. It makes the community special.”

Other aspects of Meadow Ridge that Ruth finds appealing include the gorgeous setting, the verdant atrium, the elegantly appointed apartment homes, and the style of living she describes as “a comfortable way of life.”

Best of all, she says, the couple lives entirely independently.

Ruth was formerly a nursing educator, and her husband continues to work.

“We both still drive, we go out, we go on vacations,” she said. “We have a totally independent life which is very important to us.”