When Gail Johnson looked into Newcastle Place for the first time five years ago, she knew that determining her future quality of life was up to her.
“[With] no living relatives, I knew that I needed to make the decision,” Gail says, “So that I would be well taken care of, long-range, and that I would have a good life.”
After exploring the independent living options at Newcastle Place and joining the community five years ago, Gail continues to be thrilled with her decision.
“I just celebrated my five-year anniversary [of living here],” Gail says. “One of the great parts of independent living has been my ability to continue… very meaningful activities.”
Forging the Path for a Long Life, Well-Lived
Gail used the move as an opportunity to redefine her style and her lifestyle. “I was so excited!” Gail says. “I saw this as a new opportunity for me. I got rid of almost all of my furniture. I set my apartment up differently than I had been living. It was just a whole new, exciting stage for me.”
With many different floor plans available, the well-appointed apartments at Newcastle Place make defining your life and style nearly effortless. Once you’re settled in, making connections and forging new friendships is easy, as there are many activities and shared amenities you can take advantage of.
“I thought community life would be a good move for me,” Gail says, “even though I hadn’t done that since college… I was certainly thinking it would be a plus.” As it turned out, she was right! “I can’t tell you how fast I made friends here.”
Creating a Local Community
Utilizing her background as a psychotherapist, it wasn’t long before Gail was approached by a fellow resident to help others at Newcastle Place find comfort and belonging together.
“After a few months,” Gail says, “one of the residents asked if I would ever think of doing a Parkinson’s Support Group. So I started that, and we were just going to do it at Newcastle, [but] we got feedback from the community fairly quickly that there was nothing like [what we were doing] in the area.”
The request came from outside of Newcastle Place to broaden the scope of the Parkinson’s Support Group that Gail had started to include non-residents and other community members who were also seeking support. With a heart for service and sharing her expertise, Gail worked alongside others to expand the group’s coverage area. Today, she hosts one of the largest Parkinson’s Support Groups in the state.
Dismantling Stereotypes for Greater Fulfillment
Beyond her purpose-driven work with the Parkinson’s Support Group, Gail deeply enjoys filling her days with education, conversation, and broader opportunities to explore the topics she is most passionate about.
“I love talking about stereotypes,” Gail says. “[Stereotypes about older adults] drive me crazy. So much of my reading and interacting with people is sharing my knowledge in trying to do away with those [stereotypes].”
Luckily, living in a community like Newcastle Place makes dispelling misplaced stereotypes especially easy.
“One of the things I share with others who are thinking about coming here when I’m meeting with them is to [not be surprised] if your best friends are not supportive of you,” Gail says, speaking to the way pervasive stereotypes can get in the way of truly understanding the value of independent living. “You have to understand. We reach these stages at different times with different understanding.”
Gail always encourages people to give independent living an earnest chance, as it can be truly transformative. “It’s interesting,” she says, “how if you just open yourself up, there are so many opportunities that you wouldn’t have ever planned for.”
Find Your Community at Newcastle Place
Newcastle Place offers a comfortable setting, high-end services, amenities, and activities so you can spend each day exactly how you wish. Like Gail, you can find your community here while getting any support you might need today or in the future.
Consider this your invitation to meet uplifting residents like Gail and learn more about how Newcastle Place can help you live a more active, connected, and meaningful life among new friends.
Contact us to learn more about life at Newcastle Place.