Gil and Barbara Stein know this simple fact well. Recently, the couple gave their children an incredible gift and quickly discovered the joy of giving. After carefully reviewing the nearby options, the Steins signed a contract on a new villa in Waverly Heights, a lifecare community in Gladwyne, Pa. Waverly Heights is a Main Line community located a mere 10 miles northwest of Philadelphia, Pa.

“We decided moving here would be a gift to our children, since they would never have to worry about taking care of their parents,” Barbara explained. “Since moving, we’ve discovered that it was really a gift for ourselves.”

While the Steins originally planned to move to Waverly Heights in 2012, they decided to relocate a year earlier based on the sage advice of current residents. “All the residents uniformly recommended that we come early and enjoy the lifestyle,” Barbara recalled.

Now that the transition is over, the couple enthusiastically seconds this advice. “To our peers who are on the fence, I would say, based on my own experience, it is better to move here five years early than one day late,” Gil said. “I couldn’t agree more,” Barbara added. “We are enjoying the wonderful lifestyle we have here, and we know that the care here is excellent if and when we need it.”

An alumna of Vassar College, Barbara married Gil on her graduation day. The couple eventually settled in Gladwyne, where they raised two sons and a daughter. While Barbara was a full-time wife and mother, she always made time to give back to her community.

For more than 40 years, Barbara worked on the Vassar Show House Scholarship program. The group partnered with interior designers and landscapers to redecorate estate homes and gardens for public tours. “It was a wonderful experience, and we all became very close friends,” Barbara said. “During our time together, we raised almost four million dollars for scholarships.”

As part of another unique partnership, Barbara became a founding board member of the first hospice program in the Philadelphia area. “Hospice really is a remarkable program,” she said, recalling as one of her most memorable experiences her direct volunteer work with a young family.

A native of Philadelphia and an avid sports fan, Gil’s career path has reflected his many passions. An Army Veteran who served during WW II, Gil graduated from Temple University and Boston University Law School. His varied and prestigious work history has included high-ranking positions in Philadelphia city government and positions as a law firm partner, a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, and president and CEO of the National Hockey League (NHL) – just to name a few.

While he found all his various careers rewarding, his work with the NHL married his passion for law with his love for sports. “Whatever I was doing was my favorite at the time, but being involved with the NHL was probably the thing I most identified with,” Gil said.

While he was never a hockey player himself, Gil has always been a huge fan and getting the opportunity to serve as the president of the NHL was an enormous honor. Gil loved working with the players and coaches and advancing the game. After retiring, he wrote the book POWER PLAYS—An Inside Look at the Big Business of the National Hockey League.

As for their lifestyle today, the Steins are enjoying a mix of new and old interests with lots of new friends. Barbara, a self-proclaimed “professional volunteer,” is still pursuing her passion for giving back. She has joined Waverly’s marketing, special events and movie committees. She also participates in the daily physical activity options, ranging from aquatics to line dancing.

Gil continues to work part-time as an adjunct professor of sports law at Villanova University Law School. He is also using his newfound free time to pursue volunteer activities. In fact, he recently became the editor of the Waverly Heights monthly magazine, Waverly Window. He also participates in Waverly’s putting competition and is a member of the traveling putting team.

“The thing I like best about living here is that you can continue to live the life you were living before, or if you want to get involved, there are myriad activities available,” Gil said. “We’ve always had a nice social life,” Barbara added. “The difference is now it is all right here—right outside our door.”

In fact, the Steins knew almost immediately that they would be most comfortable at Waverly Heights. When considering a life care community, they looked at nearly all of the local options, but always felt at home at Waverly.

“Beauty is terribly important to me; I love green space, and this community is just outstanding in that area,” Barbara said. Gil concurred, “We were very attracted to the natural beauty and lovely living accommodations, and once we came here, we found the activities were just wonderful as well.”

The activities and the people have made what is undoubtedly a picturesque location a true home for the Steins. “The biggest thing we have here is a sense of community,” Barbara said. “The residents and staff are there for each other, and it is just a really warm environment.”

Having found that sense of community that is missing in so much of adult life, the Steins have never looked back. “So many people tell us that they are not ready to move, but I’m not really sure what that means,” Barbara said. As a trained social worker with a Master’s in Social Services from Bryn Mawr College, Barbara saw firsthand the importance of planning for one’s later years. She had been an advocate of lifecare communities long before considering their own move; however, she could have never dreamt how much moving would enrich their quality of life.

From pursuing beloved activities to hosting new friends, the Steins are fully enjoying everything that Waverly Heights has to offer. When they were researching life care communities, they thought they were giving a gift to their children. When they moved, they realized that the gift was really for them—and that it just keeps giving. Today, the Steins are thrilled to be literally living in the present.

While continuing outside pursuits, Connie and Carl Beresin have gotten involved with different committees at The Quadrangle and enjoy the many concerts, lectures and movies the retirement community has onsite.

Through their separate careers, Carl and Connie Beresin devoted much of their lives helping and advising others.  While they found their work rewarding in itself, it is safe to say they are currently enjoying some well-deserved perks living at The Quadrangle, a Sunrise Senior Living community located in Haverford, Pa.

Married in 1955, the Beresins had four children, after which Connie returned to school to receive a BA in sociology and a graduate degree in social services management.  She spent 30 years in non-profit social services management with the YWCA, WOMENS WAY and JEVS.

“My focus on other women to help them identify their strengths and future goals, to determine the best ways to work and/or to change their circumstances in positive ways was important to me,” she said.

Meanwhile, Carl, a Wharton School graduate who received his MBA from Temple University, worked 27 years for a national food service company before working as a business broker.  “I liked advising clients with respect to buying new businesses,” he said.  “My expertise has been in business operations and financial aspects thereof.”

Following their retirement, the couple eventually decided it was time to make the transition to a retirement community that could meet their potential future needs.  When researching their options, the Beresins said they were immediately drawn to The Quadrangle for its ambiance and beautiful grounds.

“We liked the culture, the stimulating and challenging intellectual and creative environment,” said Connie.  “We knew it had been established by Quakers and having lived in a Quaker town, although we are Jewish, we felt at home and welcome.”

Also important to the Beresins was the fact that the community is a perfect middle ground between two of their sons in West Chester and Philadelphia.

After settling into their cottage, the couple wasted no time getting involved in the various programs at The Quadrangle, most of which are facilitated by the residents.  Connie heads the Art Program, and is a member of the Poetry Committee and Writers Group. She enjoys spending time painting in the Fine Arts Studio. Carl is cottager representative to the House Committee, one of seven rotating residents who facilitate weekly current events discussion and has been preparing for a script-in-hand play.

“We both swim laps regularly a few times weekly while I go to water exercise 2 to 3 days a week,” said Connie.  “We enjoy the many concerts, lectures, and movies here at The Quadrangle as well as dining with a wide variety of friends.”

Although they are highly active at the community, they appreciate having the flexibility to continue their various pursuits offsite.  The couple attends the 1807 & Friends series of chamber concerts in the city and a film group in Swarthmore. Connie, a published poet, participates in the Swarthmore Poetry Workshop while Carl plays bridge at the Drexel Hill Bridge Club and attends sporting events at the University of Pennsylvania.  They spend summers in Vermont with family and friends visiting.

Most importantly, the Beresins are able to stay on-the-go with the knowledge that a range of healthcare services is available at the community.  From independent living to skilled nursing and memory care, The Quadrangle provides amenities and services to meet the specialized needs of each of its residents.

And with this security, the couple is just enjoying living in the moment. As Connie said, “We both feel fortunate to be here. My husband and I are having the time of our lives!!”

An avid reader, Ann enjoyed spending her free time tending to her garden over the years. The mother of two was married for 50 years before her husband passed away.

Ann was one semester away from a master’s degree in Social Work at Temple University when she had a stroke nine years ago. As time went on, activities of daily living became harder for Ann, who was in a wheelchair.

While she lives with and receives as much help as possible from her daughter who still works full-time, they both knew it was time to look for a home care company.

“I had looked at different companies, but none of them were very successful,” said Ann.

It was two years ago that she was introduced to Steve Mekanik of Visiting Angels, a home health care company with a branch in Doylestown, Pa.

“He has the ability to hire really capable people, more so than any of the other companies I tried,” she said.

Steve helped Ann get acquainted with the nurses who would be taking care of her, including Joan, with whom she has formed a special bond.

“She is excellent and has become almost like family,” said Ann. “She stays with me and is just very thoughtful and caring.”

Joan takes care of Ann and assists her with tasks such as housekeeping, bathing and dressing. It may be safe to say, however, that Ann appreciates her caregiver’s delicious meals the most.

“She helps with making some really good meals,” said Ann. “I always smell something good coming out of the kitchen.”

For Ann and her working daughter, having a home health aide has made all the difference and provided them with peace of mind. Though she is no longer able to garden, Ann still enjoys reading whenever possible.

Though her caregiver offers a sense of security, nothing compares to the friendship Ann has formed with Joan. While it may have taken a few tries to find a reliable companion who could assist her with her daily living needs, she found one that has surpassed all of her expectations.

“She takes care of me in every way,” said Ann. “I’m very happy with Visiting Angels.”

Sarah taught mainly on the secondary level covering subjects such as Biology and Physics, but she also led introductory college courses at Temple University.

“I really love learning new things and it was a career where I could do that everyday,” she said.

During their 50 years together Sarah and her husband had three children. In 1999, the couple decided to be proactive about their future and research local continuing care communities.

“We didn’t want our children to have to make the decision for us,” said Sarah. “It was our way of deciding how we would be cared for.”

Staying near their family, church and activities was extremely important. Though the nonprofit Cathedral Village was the closest, there were several other factors that attracted the couple.

“The kind of community and who I’d be living with was of paramount importance to me,” said Sarah. “There is a wonderful staff here that is cheerful and pleasant and really works hard to enhance the quality of life for residents.”

Though her husband has since passed, Sarah remains grateful that he had had the chance to experience all the community has to offer as she does to this day.

With a tradition of residents determining the activities at Cathedral Village, the opportunities are endless. And from serving as treasurer for the Resident Association to helping her peers as part of the computer committee, Sarah is constantly on the go.

This longtime teacher is highly active in the Village College started by a group of retired professors ten years ago. While Sarah has conducted six-week courses, she has truly enjoyed learning from her fellow residents on different subjects. The program has gained such popularity that three classrooms had to be added to the community for exclusive use of the College.

More ‘hotspots’ at Cathedral Village are its state-of-the-art greenhouse and the fenced gardening area, Plotter’s field, where Sarah has her own plot. She also stays active as part of the Philadelphia Flying Phoenix dragon boat team utilizing the fitness center’s conditioning equipment and swimming pool.

“We had permission to do winter training in the pool,” she said. “A group of us met and practiced paddling strokes to stay in shape so we can participate in regattas and win a lot of them.”

And while Sarah has been training and as her peers enjoy a concert or daytrip, they are able to do so with peace of mind knowing healthcare is available for their potential needs. In fact, Assisted Living services are even provided for Cathedral Village residents in the comfort of their own apartments.

With this security, no home maintenance, a supportive staff and the liberty to also stay involved in her church and activities outside of the community, Sarah encourages others to make the same transition.

She said, “People feel they have to give up their life or freedom to come to a community like this, but I think you actually get your freedom.”

Coming from not only a teacher, but an individual who planned ahead and found the perfect home for her lifestyle, this certainly is a valuable lesson.

Just ask Rose Movitch. As the head of the entertainment committee, Rose works with the full-time activities director to plan various events and groups at the community. Always having an energetic lifestyle, she would often travel with her husband and take part in several hobbies such as bridge, tennis, golf and attending the theatre.

“Because I love to do and see things and go places, I feel this is why I want to encourage everyone here to get the best out of life,” said Rose, “And we do all that we can in planning these programs.”

A graduate of Temple University, Rose is no stranger to listening diligently and accommodating others. With a Masters in Social Work from Rutgers, she worked at the Jewish community center and eventually returned to the school to teach graduate work in Gerontology.

“What I’m doing at Attleboro is a lot of what I did in my professional life as part of the senior center,” she said, “I’m planning programs, scheduling trips and trying to meet the needs of the people here.”

As Rose intended, Attleboro’s staff is encouraging and allowing residents to make the best of their lives. Aside from the continuum of care they receive, they can take advantage of the community’s amenities while pursuing prior or new interests. Attleboro prides itself on its Main Street, inspired by neighborhoods of the past, that connects the residential buildings. It is the center of the Village’s recreational, educational, social and cultural activities.

Along with this ideal social setting, there are numerous options for individuals every day of the week. For example, Attleboro residents can stay active through aquatic therapy on Monday followed by a night of entertainment. Typical Wednesdays involve a daytrip to the museum or an outing in the country. Saturday evenings, designated as ‘movie nights’ can also consist of poker games.

One group with which Rose is highly involved is the drama group made up of 16 individuals. Every Friday morning, an expert from Philadelphia visits to help them practice improvisation techniques. Their hard work paid off recently as they put on four performances for their peers.

Then there are the well-known Attleboro Players, who came together to enhance the camaraderie of the male residents. For the past 12 years, they have entertained and performed theatrical presentations for residents.

Educational opportunities also abound at the community as Rose has helped to arrange different courses for residents through Bucks Community College.

“We’ve had wonderful courses that have included writing memoirs and discussing Robert Frost’s poetry,” she said.

One of Rose’s major ongoing projects is finding a place to keep a computer for residents. While unique ideas arise that at first do not seem possible, Rose and Attleboro’s staff do not give up.

“Everybody has something they say they want, and we try to develop it,” said Rose, “Whatever we can do, we’ll keep trying.”

With its variety of interest groups and from its pool table to its magic shows, Attleboro provides a fun and comfortable atmosphere for its residents. It is the ideal home for individuals like Rose, who wish to stay active while knowing they are taken care of.

“It’s a marvelous place,” said Rose, “It really is.”

Mrs. Sullivan not only travels in style, she does everything with grace and enthusiasm. At 89, she still travels to her condominium in Ocean City every weekend. For such an active woman, weekends by the ocean give her much pleasure and time to relax.

Born in Philadelphia in 1914, Grace attended Temple University until the depression. She studied education and worked briefly as a kindergarten teacher. However, once her family began to suffer the effects of the depression she, her mother, and her sister took jobs in a meat factory in order to help support the family. Although the experience was arduous, Mrs. Sullivan maintained a positive attitude: “My family lost everything. We lost our house and virtually everything else, but my father was able to keep his job, and with all of us working, there was always food on the table.” Her family weathered the depression, and a few years later, Grace was married.

The couple settled in Philadelphia to raise their family, three daughters and two sons. They were very involved with local politics and a wide variety of activities. Grace was a member of the Questers, a national group devoted to antique collecting. She enjoyed her involvement with the group because “everyone collected different things. We would take field trips to visit other people’s houses and view their collections, and I really loved doing that. It was so fascinating.” Her appreciation for diverse subjects served her well as a member of the Toast Mistresses, a group that helps individuals hone their public speaking skills.

Grace has also been working with the Miss America Pageant for over 30 years. She became involved with the pageant after forming a friendship with the Mayor of Brigantine. Her primary responsibility is to ensure that the contestants’ parents are entertained and supervised during their stay.

After Mr. Sullivan retired from his work as a commissioner, the couple decided to move to Cocoa Beach, FL. “When we moved to Cocoa Beach, we completely retired and left the city and that lifestyle behind us. We had a beautiful condo right on the beach, but we maintained our apartment in Ocean City and spent the summers there. It was wonderful because we got to enjoy beautiful weather throughout the year,” relates Mrs. Sullivan.

Fully satisfied with their current lifestyle, the Sullivans were not considering a move, but a casual mention of retirement living options by a close friend changed all that. Mrs. Sullivan recalls, “Some of our friends came to visit us in Florida, and they mentioned that they were going to move to a retirement community. I was shocked because this couple was 10 years younger than we were at the time. The man explained that his wife’s health was ailing, and that he was tired of maintaining their home and pool. He was thrilled to have found a nice place where they would be taken care of for the rest of their lives. After they left, my husband and I talked about their decision and decided it was something that we should consider as well.”

A few months later, the Sullivans visited their friends’ retirement community and decided they liked the lifestyle and security offered at a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). They began to look for a CCRC that would meet all of their needs, but their search did not take long.

During a visit with their daughter, they mentioned their search, and she was excited to show them Attleboro, a CCRC in Langhorne, PA that was only moments from her house. Grace and her husband toured the grounds at Attleboro and met the staff. Grace remembers her first visit fondly: “It was honestly love at first site. We just fell madly in love with everything at Attleboro. It’s so beautiful!”

Shortly thereafter, they moved into a spacious two-bedroom apartment and became involved in the community. Of the facility and the staff, Grace relates, “The grounds are beautiful, and everything you really need is right here. The staff is very good to me, and I use their services a lot.” It is the exemplary service of the Attleboro staff that helps Mrs. Sullivan remain independent and active even as she approaches her 90th birthday.

She acknowledges the importance of their support, “I depend on the drivers to take me everywhere. All of the services offered here are great, but the drivers are particularly helpful to me. They take me to the train station every weekend. When I return, the driver is there with a stool for me to step off the train, and then he takes my bags and helps me into the community van.” Without this type of assistance, the trips that are so important to her way of life might not be possible.

In addition to traveling, Mrs. Sullivan remains active in the community. She organizes and sponsors a group called the Attleboro Players, a group of nine men who do theatrical presentations for community residents. She also volunteers at other assisted living facilities; she teaches a ceramics class and truly enjoys sharing her talents. She enjoys volunteering because it offers her a chance to share her incredible zest for life with others.

“My lifestyle is so much better since moving to Attleboro. I have the benefit of all the services offered here, which allows me to spend my time doing things I enjoy. I’ve just never been one to sit around; I always have to be on the go,” admits Mrs. Sullivan. For these reasons, she often suggests to other seniors that they consider a move to a retirement community.

Much to her surprise, she often finds them resistant to her advice. She explains, “People don’t think they are old enough to move to a retirement community, but what they don’t realize is that this type of lifestyle isn’t just about every day living. They do not realize all the entertainment that is provided here, all the trips and all the friends. I know that in the ten years since I have lived here, I have felt younger. I sincerely believe that if you move into a place like this you will live longer and happier.”

Mrs. Sullivan’s lively nature certainly attests to what a difference an active lifestyle can make. In addition to her trips to Ocean City, she spends much of her time visiting her 5 children, 16 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. Grace is planning trips to Florida this winter and Europe this summer. She continues to make the most of everyday and is a shining example of her own philosophy that “staying active keeps you young.” Watching her climb aboard her train shortly before it pulls away from the platform, there is no doubt that this vibrant senior will be making this trip and countless others for some time to come.