Concordia Life Care Community Hosts Resident Roundtable

How to Choose the Right Community for You

Founder of Senior Real Estate Institute leads a roundtable discussion regarding the science of choosing a community

Making the decision to move can be overwhelming. What are my options? Where do I begin? To help answer those important questions, Concordia Life Care Community hosted an event titled Resident Roundtable: Learn about the science of choosing a community and the art of connecting to a whole new lifestyle. Nikki Buckelew, a full-time coach, realtor, trainer and speaker dedicated to serving older adults, moderated the discussion.

“We are thrilled to see how the science behind decision-making coincides with our residents’ personal experiences,” said Danny Eischen, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director at Concordia. “We hope to provide clarity to Oklahomans who are considering residential community living.”

A resident of greater Oklahoma City and local business owner, Buckelew leads a team of real estate and move management professionals who provide a complete turnkey solution to downsizing from dealing with household items to selling the family home. She holds a BA in family studies and gerontology, an MS in counseling psychology, numerous certifications in the senior housing industry and is currently completing her PhD in psychology. For the roundtable, Buckelew was accompanied by a panel of Concordia residents who shared stories of how, when and why they chose retirement community living, as well as the lessons they learned along the way.

Several Concordia residents participated as part of the panel and all offered unique perspectives as to why they made the decision to join a senior living community.

  • Barbara Erickson moved to Concordia with her husband John in 2016. The couple made the move because John was experiencing signs of dementia. Barbara and John maintain their familiar and precious routines like nightly devotionals and ice cream dates. But they each equally enjoy appropriate and meaningful activities suited for each of them.
  • Dr. James Harris taught at East Central University in Ada from 1965 to 1999, and, upon retirement, he was chairman of the Department of History. Today, he and his toy schnauzer Teri enjoy all the benefits Concordia offers including great food, simple spaces and no-hassle living.
  • John Martin and his wife Bernice were feeling financially and physically drained by the upkeep of their single-family home. They chose Concordia because it offered a solution to their “house problem” and provided a range of care options for the future. John is enjoying an active lifestyle and not having to take care of home maintenance!
  • Betty Myers moved to Concordia in early 2017 from her home in Oklahoma City. She appreciates the feeling of safety here, and how, as she says, “everyone is concerned about each other.” A true “people person,” Betty can be seen taking part in chorus and meeting her friends for breakfast every morning.

Residents speaking at roundtable Group of residents at roundtable

Residents at roundtable discussion Senior resident tells her story

For more information about Nikki Buckelew, visit https://www.buckelewrealtygroup.com/our-agents/nikki-buckelew/

For more information about Concordia’s continuing care community, visit https://concordiaseniorliving.com/continuing-care-retirement-community/