Dawn Strumsky, John Strumsky and Michelle Caldwell pictured in the fitness center at Oak Crest represent the new breed of health conscious community residents.

Although the “obesity epidemic” seems to be grabbing headlines, Baby Boomers are surprisingly quite serious about their physical health and exercise regimens. A recent survey sponsored by Humana revealed that nearly 75 percent of over 50 Boomers exercise at least three times a week, and nearly half of the respondents have established a commitment to exercise for at least five years.  These statistics are already changing the face of senior living communities as this more active and health-conscious consumer begins to research alternatives.

Charlestown and Oak Crest are two senior living communities in Baltimore County that are ahead of this curve by having made a commitment to embrace this trend offering state-of-the-art facilities, services and support to address the needs of residents now and in the future.

“Oak Crest and Charlestown are adapting with the times and with the needs of their residents,” said Jeff Getek, public affairs manager with Oak Crest and Charlestown.   It is through an ongoing dialogue with the residents of these large campuses that they are able to deliver. “Each year we survey the residents, we ask them what we do right, what we could improve upon. They give us feedback and, together with them, that’s where we see better results,” Jeff continued.

The campuses have made a commitment to deliver on the results of the survey, At Charlestown, the fitness center with amenities will be expanded to 4,300 square feet, and the aquatics center will grow to nearly 6,000 square feet as part of the campus modernization underway.  A new computer room will be opened in Charlestown Square. Meanwhile at Oak Crest, individuals have seen an expanded fitness center with personal training services among other improvements. Both campuses have expanded the hours of operation for their fitness centers to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“This new generation of residents wants more freedom, wants more flexibility as to when they want to do things, and we try to adapt to that,” said Jeff.

And if these communities can meet the demands of two fitness buffs, Oak Crest resident Michelle Caldwell and Charlestown resident John Strumsky, then they are clearly ahead of the curve in addressing the needs of a healthier population.

Temica Carter a personal trainer at Oak Crest works with Michelle on her fitness program

Michelle Caldwell
A native of Baltimore, Michelle’s path to Oak Crest was an interesting one. In 2002, Michelle’s parents had moved to the community.

“At first my Dad did not want to move, so they had an application in for a few years and finally Dad agreed to make the move,” she said.  “At first my Dad did not want to move, so they had an application in for a few years and finally Dad agreed to make the move,” she said.  “Once he got here, he quickly made the transition.”

Visiting her parents regularly, Michelle quickly felt like a part of the community, “I became very familiar with many of the residents and staff and I fell in love with Oak Crest,” she said. “Everyone embraced me as well as my parents.”

She recalled one example in which she went to pick up a meal in the café for her mom and did not return for 45 minutes having started conversations with residents.

When her mother passed away, Michelle began working on closing her parents affairs.  She inquired about the minimum age requirement to live at Oak Crest

“They said 60 and at that time I was 59-1/2, so that day I was able to put in an application and reserve my parents’ apartment,” she said with a smile. “I was able to move in for my 60th birthday. I think I had the distinction then of being the youngest resident.”
Since moving to the community, Michelle said she has been “going non-stop.”  This is not hard to believe with her extensive list of activities ranging from Bible study to volunteering at the resident-run TV station. As a result, she has formed many friendships. “There is such a wealth of sharing that many of the residents actually want to do,” she said.

It is Oak Crest’s ability to support her commitment to health and fitness, however, that really makes her happy.  Working with Temica Carter, a wellness manager and personal trainer at the community, Michelle never misses a session.

“She’s an inspiration to everyone here. She is here three days a week at 8:00 a.m. sharp, and she’s just a pleasure to have around,” said Temica. “The fact that she really makes fitness a priority is something that both the employees and residents really look up to.”

While she maintains a healthy lifestyle, Michelle is especially appreciative of the security she has at Oak Crest, whether it is regarding her physical safety walking at night or knowing she has access to different levels of care, including assisted living and nursing, should she need it in the future.

Dawn and John Strumsky enjoy the vast fitness and social offerings at Charlestown as well as the sense of community and security.

Dawn and John Strumsky
“I am very competitive with myself,” said Charlestown resident John Strumsky with a smile.  The former Marine has not only pushed himself to new limits in fitness, but he has inspired others.  In 2000, John and his wife Dawn co-founded the US Running Streak Association (USRSA) whose members strive to run at least one continuous mile within each day. Membership in the organization is open to those running every day for one year, however, there are members that have run every day for multiple years including John.

It was an injury that forced John to end his multi-year running streak, and that played a role in the couple’s decision to move to Charlestown.  Dawn had a friend that lived at the community who she had visited several times.

“I thought the community was wonderful,” she said.  “Since we didn’t have family nearby, it could provide us with security for the future.”

Hesitant at first, John eventually saw how important the transition was for his wife and presented Dawn with his signature for her birthday. Now that the couple has settled into their new home, he has found the community offers more than enough outlets for his highly active and competitive nature.

Although he was a regular visitor to the fitness center, he has shifted his focus to the Walk Challenge, a competition between Erickson Living residents and staff throughout the nation. “He literally walks day and night,” said Dawn.  “When we lived in our old neighborhood I was always nervous when John would go on an early morning run and now I have no worries.”

John has also enjoyed the fact that the pathways are well lit, and in the event there is bad weather, there are miles of climate-controlled walkways throughout the campus that can be used without stepping outside.

Overall the Strumskys described their life at Charlestown as “living large.”  Their home offers them so many amenities, clubs and dining options that they have to carefully budget their time.

While the fitness, amenities and security are great benefits to living in Charlestown, the couple said that the feeling of connectedness to their neighbors is what makes it truly special.  Dawn tearfully recounted when their beloved dog, Twinkie passed away.  Although saddened by the loss of their ‘family member,’ she was amazed at the outpour of support she received from her new neighbors. Both Dawn and John have felt they are part of an amazing family.

Reflecting on his initial “foot dragging” when making the move, John said, “I should have at least been more open to it.  You develop a mind set about things that you haven’t experienced. And then when you experience them, you realize that the experience, the reality, is so different from what your personal perceptions were and you could be so off-base with something””and that’s what happened with me.  I couldn’t be happier with where we live and the opportunities it has created for us now and in the future.”

Communities Prepared for the Future
“We’re seeing more and more residents like the Stromskys and Ms. Caldwell who come in and are really engaged in health and wellness activities,”said Jeff.  “When you see people like them, you’re motivated by what they do. They inspire me personally, because it shows that, at any age, these health and wellness activities can really make a difference.”

Long before this move, however, the Resslers’ story begins when they met at a dance, which, according to Mrs. Ressler, has often led to the debate of who saw who first. Though no matter whom it was, the couple is happy to say they have celebrated 48 years of marriage. During this time, Mr. Ressler had worked for Amoco American Oil Company while Mrs. Ressler was a homemaker and bookkeeper who worked part time at the Catonsville Community College bookstore for several years.

It was Aug. 28, 2008 that the Resslers received the call for which they had been waiting. An apartment matching their request had become available. Though the couple sold their home in a matter of three weeks, they knew the actual moving process would not be so easy.

Mrs. Ressler said she and her husband knew they did not want to tackle this move on their own and at the time were given a list of vendors by the Charlestown sales staff. Instead of getting overwhelmed and bogged down with the details, they contacted Charna Kinneberg, owner of the company Senior Transitions, Inc. which provides move coordination services.

As a result, they had downsized, disposed of unnecessary items, had everything packed up, and were moved into their new place by October 10, less than two months after initially learning the apartment was available.

“We didn’t have to go through a book to try to find people to take away trash, donate things to, or even move our things since Charna and her staff took care of everything,” says Mrs. Ressler. “Everyone was wonderful including the other vendors they recommended. They showed up on time and if they were going to be late at all, they called. There was no waiting around wondering.”

Mr. Ressler adds that on the actual moving day, the vendors were taking care of unpacking all of the items and followed the couple’s wishes placing everything accordingly. “We walked into the bedroom and there they were making our bed – it was just like a hotel where everything we needed was in place and ready for us!” he says.

In other moves they made over the years, according to Mrs. Ressler, they had still had to contend with the packing supplies after everything was done. That was certainly not the case this time, however, thanks to their moving coordinator. The trash was removed with boxes taken away, thus the Resslers were free to quickly start their lives at Charlestown.

The Resslers’ story is certainly not uncommon; however, theirs teaches others of the available resources that can be utilized when taking on this difficult task. Charna says the move coordinators take one of the major barriers of moving away. “We often hear ‘I don’t want to be a burden to my children,’ or ‘I don’t have time to help my parents,’” she says.

With a qualified, experienced move coordinator, these and other issues associated with a move are handled. According to Charna, the ultimate goal is to remove that stress from the experience, though the source differs from client to client. One may just need someone to help them figure out what will fit into the new unit while another client may want help disposing of things they do not need. Someone else will just want help packing or unpacking as others want to go on vacation and come back after the move is done.

No matter the scenario, this move manager is there to help. “We’ve done it all,” she says.

Senior Transitions, Inc., however, is not limited to coordinating local moves. Charna is President Elect and one of the founding members of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM), an organization of move managers located throughout the U.S. and Canada. The industry has grown significantly in the past six years from the initial 16 member companies in 2002 to now over 500 companies.

“When a client is moving to or from another location, we can easily find a member company to help on the other end,” says Charna. “Because of my longstanding involvement with the organization, I often personally know the other company.”

Also as a result of her commitment to the association, some of the communities she regularly works with even call her rather than just selecting from the NASMM web site.

Meanwhile, with what turned out to be a very stress-free move behind them, the Resslers have enjoyed life in their new home. As Resident Ambassadors at Charlestown, they talk to prospective residents, showing them the community and discussing the advantages of living at Charlestown. Mrs. Ressler is also in the process of starting a new dining companions program at the community with her friend.

Of course, they often discuss their experience with Senior Transitions, Inc. and would recommend seeking the assistance of a move manager to anyone in a similar situation.

“There is no way we could have made the move without them,” says Mrs. Ressler. “It’s the single biggest reason most people give for not making the move. With Charna and her staff’s help, that issue is gone.”

They had been living in their family home in Ellicott City for 15 years when their children began to encourage them to make the move to a retirement community. After a brief search, the Millers chose Charlestown, an Erickson Retirement Community in Catonsville, MD. The staff at Charlestown gave Mr. and Mrs. Miller information about moving companies and moving coordinators to help them make the transition.

The couple called Senior Transitions, Inc. for help with the move and was pleasantly surprised by the comprehensive services they offered. “I am so grateful that we called them; I tell everyone about Senior Transitions,” says Mrs. Miller. She continues, “We really could not have done it alone, and they were just so great. The staff was very hardworking and pleasant, and they certainly did not waste one minute.”

The moving coordinators packed all of the Millers belongings and even helped them get settled into their new apartment. With all the stress of the move relieved, the Millers found themselves “joking and laughing and having a great time, all while our house was being packed up.”

Walking into an apartment that was completely set up made their transition nearly seamless. “The cabinets were full, and the bed was made; there were even towels in the bathroom. They made sure we had everything we needed to be comfortable on the very first night,” remembers Mrs. Miller.

After just six weeks at Charlestown, the Millers feel like they settled into their new home “a long time ago.” Mrs. Miller sums up their experience, saying, “Knowing what I know now, I think it would be absolutely ridiculous to attempt to do all the work involved in moving on your own, especially when there is such wonderful help available.”

Not having to worry about going through boxes gave the Millers more time to make new friends at the community. They are now enjoying dinners with their fellow residents and are still deciding what new activities they would like to pursue.