Category: Amenities

Otterbein Pemberville

I recently got permission from the corporate headquarters to use the real name of our CCRC, so I will use the real names of the streets and buildings, but not of the staff members and residents I write about. For the humans, it’s a matter of their right to privacy.

Otterbein Pemberville, officially Otterbein Senior Life Pemberville, is a full-fledged Continuing Care Retirement Community located in rural Northwest Ohio. What that means is that it comprises independent villas and apartments, assisted living apartments, and a skilled nursing facility, commonly known as a nursing home. The facility boasts an on-campus physician, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services, free cable TV, complete snow removal and lawn care, walking trails, onsite banking, and many, many social and learning activities. It even has a chef with his own commercial-grade kitchen and an adjoining dining facility, where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served at modest prices.

Otterbein Pemberville sits on 162 acres of old farmland. A large portion of it, perhaps one-third, is forested and has apparently never been farmed. The area is peaceful and quiet, though numerous CSX trains pass daily along the western border of the property. There is no thru-traffic or overhead aircraft. Fire and rescue services are provided by a nearby town. Another nearby town offers a butcher shop and small grocery store, both owned by the same family, and all their meat is fresh and local.

The Otterbein Pemberville campus is large, clean, well-manicured, and, most important, it is safe. As part of the lease signing ceremony, we were presented with our very own emergency pendants, which are monitored everywhere on campus, including along most of the walking trails.

Otterbein Pemberville encourages, but does not require, residents to participate in the governing of the facility. There are three committees that answer to the governing Board: Development and Marketing, Finance and Human Resources, and Quality (includes nursing and resident services). Committees make recommendations too, but do not have a vote on, the Board; two elected Resident Director Representatives are actual Board members and each has a vote.

Our campus is made up of 75 independent living villas in five separate courts. The villas range in size from a one-bedroom to a large two-bedroom with a sunrooom. Configurations are as varied as the residents living in them. Rent is based on size of unit, and the Marketing Department handles all queries related to rent.

In addition to the villas, there are approximately 50 independent living apartments in the main building. Sizes range from studio to one bedroom, with one two-bedroom also available. As with the villas, rent varies with the size of the apartment.

Otterbein Pemberville has a brand-new assistant living wing with about 40 apartments on two floors. These apartments are designed for residents with more care needs who generally cannot live independently or who need a temporary residence after an operation or severe illness, such as stroke or heart attack.

Finally, there is a skilled nursing wing for residents with the most acute needs. This is essentially a nursing home, and needs no further description in this blog.

The Dreaded Pendant

Now, here’s something that left me a little gobsmacked… On the day we signed the paperwork to take possession of our villa, one of the last things that Brooke, the marketing person, gave each of us was the “pendant,” a device that dangles on a lanyard around your neck and is designed to save your life if you fall or get attacked by a bear, or whatever. It has a button on it that can be pushed in an emergency, and each and every pendant is monitored 24/7 while you’re on campus. It works like that Life Alert (c) device that you see advertised on cable TV. Well, both Carolyn and I almost went into shock when Brooke handed us our pendants! No, I thought, that is something for old people, and not for me!

There is more to this story… Upon arrival at our villa after leaving the marketing office, we discovered an emergency cord in the bathroom, in case one of us falls in the shower and his or her pendant is dangling on the doorknob, where it generally resides. Okay, I expected to see pendants in every room of the villa, and perhaps in my sock drawer, in case I collapsed while reaching for a clean pair of socks! Well, there are really only three, so my fears were somewhat overblown.

And there is even more to this story… About three months into our occupancy, I had to make a solo trip out of state, leaving Carolyn and Kiki to fend for themselves. Guess what?! Carolyn wore her pendant while I was gone! She said she felt safer wearing it while she was the only adult in the villa. So, the “dreaded” pendant may not be so loathsome, after all, and it could save lives. It has other uses, too, but that’s a subject for a future post.

What?! Free Yoga and Cable TV!

As part of the registration process, Otterbein Pemberville included a form for us to list all our current expenses at the house, for example, taxes, utilities, cable TV, repairs, etc. These figures were written in a column, beside which was another column of what those costs would be at Otterbein, which were all pretty much “Free” or “No Charge.” Bottom line, Otterbein bears the expense of cable channels, utilities, taxes, and all repairs. When we compared the two columns, we saw that it was essentially a wash — we would be almost breaking even in the bargain! (That’s not quite true, but close enough.)

The cable TV is a real bargain, and among the channels is Otterbein Pemberville’s own internal channel (more about that in a future post), but it doesn’t include the Internet, which is a small expense for a blindingly fast connection (over 100 mbits, for you geeks). What we didn’t fully realize is that the Village offers all kinds of free programs, such as concerts, excercise classes, and my favorite, yoga four times a week. The yoga instructor, Cassandra, teaches in the local university’s music department, and she and her significant other perform in a live concert once a month here. She’s even had some of her students perform, as well. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, as far as musical performances go, but more about that in a future post.

It seems like every week Otterbein Pemberville has a tour arranged at a nearby tourist attraction, transportation provided, often meal included (for a small, extra fee). These are first-rate tours, and the food is prepared by local restaurants. The bus is air-conditioned, the tours are guided, and the experience always unforgettable!

This is just a sampling of the perks at the Village. I bring them up here for two reasons — 1) There’s plenty to do that would cost a lot of money if you did it in your old life; and 2) Every time you take a class or go on a tour, think of it as lowering the cost of living at a CCRC. You just might learn something new in the process.