Chemistry is the study of the composition, properties and reactions of substances. It is also the inexplicable connection that unites people. John Mutchler knows both types of chemistry well.

John Mutchler found the perfect balance of amenities to meet all his needs at The Hermitage.

A native Washingtonian, John grew up in Kensington, Md., and attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. From this top-rated public high school, he was able to go on to Cornell University, where he graduated with a degree in Chemistry.

John’s first job brought him back to Washington, D.C. He worked for the Gillette Company on Teflon-coated razor blades. Later, he pursued other ventures, but found himself drawn back to his work as a chemist. “As most people do, I changed jobs just to see if the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. I found out it wasn’t,” John recalled of his career move.

After returning to his original passion, John found his dream job as a chemist at a manufacturing plant in Northern New Jersey. “When I retired, I went out with a bang, instead of a whimper! I felt very fortunate that my last job was so satisfying,” he said.

While he found a lot of fulfillment in his work, John also enjoys spending time with his family, including his two children. He is also very close to his twin sister and spent many hours on the tennis court playing the single’s champion.

After retiring, John continued to live in Northern New Jersey. Several years ago, while still living alone, he fell and broke his back. While the injury was slowly healing, John realized that he needed some additional help. “I really couldn’t walk very far on my own, and I was very curtailed in my physical activities,” he said. “My daughter had always wanted me to come and live near them when I retired, so we started talking about it.”

When John’s daughter found The Hermitage, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Alexandria, Va., she thought it would be a perfect fit for her father. The location meant he would be close to most of his family. The community also offers the security of on-site health care or in-home services should they be needed in the future, all without an entrance fee.

“I came down here, and I was very impressed with the community,” John said. “Sure enough, I moved, and I’m really very happy here.”

John quickly discovered that The Hermitage offered the perfect balance of amenities to meet his needs. “They are really very good at serving three aspects here: physical needs, mental needs and spiritual needs,” he said. John explained that he participates in fitness classes and a bible study group and that his medical needs have always been promptly met.

While John is an avid participant in many activities, it is the friendships he has made since moving that have really changed his life. “Like any place, it’s the people that really count, and I’ve made so many friends here,” he said. Many of John’s friends are fellow participants in two of the community’s most active groups: the current events group and the poetry group. “We all look out for one another, and we’ve really become very close,” he explained.

Connecting with so many fascinating peers has made John’s transition easy. However, his unwavering positive attitude has also served him well. “I think people should try to focus on the many positive aspects of life in a community like this, and there are many, many positive aspects,” he said.

At The Hermitage, John has found a retirement lifestyle with the perfect balance of social, physical, mental and spiritual offerings. Most importantly, he has also discovered a community where the residents are truly connected and deeply engaged – a place with the right chemistry.

Layton is not, however, a world leader or a powerful executive. She is an avid Web surfer. And, at 74, she is still a trendsetter who keeps abreast of technological advances.

A former housewife and mother of two, Layton has always been fascinated by technology, but her interests are myriad. Philanthropic activities have always taken precedence for Ms. Layton. She worked tirelessly for organizations ranging from the Mental Health Association to her neighborhood garden club in Wilmington, DE. Layton notes, “The busier you are the more people ask you to do things. One activity really leads to another.”

While arthritis and a degenerative spinal condition have limited Ms. Layton’s volunteer activities, they have not curtailed her active nature. Three years ago, Ms. Layton moved to Kensington Park Retirement Community,in Kensington, MD. Kensington Park provides exceptional care, including Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Alzheimer’s/Dementia Care.

Life at Kensington Park means “not having to prepare meals, wash dishes, or worry about cleaning all the time,” Layton says. In addition to the worry-free lifestyle, she enjoys the wealth of excellent activities and outings offered by the community. When she is not busy surfing the Web, Ms. Layton is attending discussion groups or going out to dinner with her fellow residents. She notes, “We have a very good activities director, and the staff is really open to our ideas.”

Ms. Layton’s only complaint is her inability to convince more of her fellow residents to log on. “They think they can’t do it. I say, ‘If I can, you can,’” she explains. Her efforts are not wasted. Kensington Park has a computer club with a growing group of residents.

Years ago at the University of Delaware, Layton took a basic computing class, where she learned computer terminology. At the time, not even her professor had a personal computer. Other than this introductory class, Layton is completely self-taught. When her son-in-law gave her an old computer, equipped only with QuickenR, she became a quick study. Since then, she has upgraded her computer several times and gotten an Internet connection.

Reading on-line newspapers, visiting museum Web sites, and viewing the world through Web cams, keeps Ms. Layton’s phone line perpetually busy (her connection is dial-up). “It’s all so amazingly convenient, fast, and fascinating. I really don’t know what I would do without it now,” she admits.

Even more important than the wealth of information is the ease with which she can communicate with her children and grandchildren via e-mail. In fact, e-mail is something she thinks every senior should have. She explains, “It would really help them stay constantly connected with their families, and that is so important.”

Convincing her fellow residents to get on-line has proven to be somewhat of a challenge-but one that Ms. Layton is surely up to. Even if they have no desire to venture into cyberspace, her new friends certainly appreciate her enthusiasm for this contemporary frontier.

Comfortable with the Internet and e-mail, Ms. Layton moved on to new technological adventures; she has been using a digital camera for four years and is currently experimenting with ways to edit pictures in order to change the lighting effects and other features.