When Rosemary Morse moved into Riddle Village nearly six years ago, she knew two things for sure: she was going to be an active resident of the community, and she wanted to continue working to help people. Several years and a few committees later, Rosemary could not be happier to call Riddle Village retirement community their new home.
Rosemary and her husband, Carl, lived in Havertown, Pennsylvania when they began the process of looking into retirement communities. They visited several communities but struggled to find the right fit. Upon receiving a brochure in the mail from Riddle Village, they decided they wanted to come in and see it for themselves. After a tour and dinner with two other couples who had already lived in the community, they knew they had found their new home.
“We met [the marketing team], and we had looked around and liked what we saw,” Rosemary said. “And then they suggested we come back to have dinner one night, which we did. And we just felt like we could belong here.”
There were many factors that led to Rosemary and Carl walking out of Riddle Village and knowing immediately and simultaneously that this was where they wanted to live. They both loved the convenient location, the size of the apartments, and the layout. One major feature that still stands out for Rosemary is all the indoor amenities.
“We liked the fact that you could take advantage of all the amenities without ever having to leave the building,” she says. “It’s nice to go out for dinner and not have to put your coat on. There’s a tremendous sense of freedom with that.”
Aside from the physical characteristics of Riddle Village, Rosemary and Carl both sensed a feeling like they could be happy here. Rosemary has since learned that another part of the retirement community to love is that every day is different. Right from the start, she knew the one constant would be that there would always be opportunities to be active and serve others here.
Since moving in, the Morse’s have become familiar faces to everyone who enters Riddle Village. Carl, who claimed to have never been described as a “joiner,” is now a member of the library committee, a floor leader, a CCRC representative and more. As for Rosemary, she keeps busy as a proud member of the chorus, medical committee, and has transitioned from the Secretary of the Riddle Village Residents Association to the President.
As President of the Riddle Village Residents Association, Rosemary makes sure that residents’ voices are being heard. She chairs the resident council meetings, meets regularly with the Chief Executive Officer of Riddle Village, makes sure that standing committees have a chairperson, each floor in the building has a representative and that those pieces are all functioning well. If a resident has a question or concern, Rosemary feels it is her responsibility to direct them to the most appropriate person to help them, whether that be a staff member in administration or a fellow resident.
One thing in particular that Rosemary enjoys about serving on the resident council is the opportunity to meet with new residents and help them to get acquainted with Riddle Village retirement community. Rosemary and other members of the council host new residents for a dinner in one of Riddle Village restaurants. This allows everyone to meet new people, as well as, answer any questions they might have after moving in. It is a way for new residents to be welcomed into the retirement community, and Rosemary says it has been incredibly beneficial for everyone.
Besides doing her own part to help Riddle Village residents, Rosemary has some advice for what everyone can do for themselves to get the most out of the community.
“The people here are very friendly, and they will reach out, but you also have to extend yourself a bit. You can’t leave it all on those who already live here. You have to step out a little bit too,” Rosemary says. She also thinks that learning as much as you can about your new home will help you to feel comfortable here. “Go to your floor meetings. Go to your association meetings. Hear what’s going on. Be informed about the community.”
Contact us or give us a call at 610-891-3700 to learn more about Riddle Village and all the benefits of living in an independent retirement community.