Wish they had moved sooner

If you're considering making a move to Linden Ponds, one of the people who may help you along the way is Teresa Caseau, who has been on the staff at the Hingham, Mass., community since 2005. Caseau started as a marketing assistant and was promoted many times over the years. She's served as the sales event associate, planning and executing hundreds of events in those years. She then became a senior sales associate, and her responsibilities included conducting pre-residency meetings and contract appointments. 

Recently, Caseau was promoted to sales counselor. In her new role, she meets with prospective residents and their families to help them become familiar with everything Linden Ponds has to offer.

"I tailor each personal visit to their needs, and I always include a tour of the campus clubhouses and apartments," she says. "I serve as their liaison and help them overcome any obstacles that a move can sometimes entail. At Linden Ponds, we treat each and every customer like family."

The feeling of "family" also extends to relationships among the staff at Linden Ponds. Caseau says coming to the office every day is easy because she works alongside a group of people she describes as "amazing."

"We are friends who support one another with respect and kindness," she says. "We are a family."

'Retirement liaison'

Caseau thinks of her role as sales counselor as a sort of "retirement liaison." When she first meets with prospective residents, her top priority is to listen in order to understand the unique needs of each person. Having worked at Linden Ponds for many years, she knows the ins and outs of the community and is very familiar with the process of downsizing and moving to a retirement community—and any challenges that come along with that.

"A move from your family home can be an emotional and difficult decision," she says. "So, it's important to uncover roadblocks and to take away any boundaries that might be preventing people from their future planning."

Caseau has helped many retirees with their moves to Linden Ponds over the years. One experience that stands out in her memory was with a woman who moved to the community from Weymouth, Mass., after her husband had passed away. 

"She was widowed and living alone, and her neighborhood had changed. Friends moved away," Caseau says. "She loved Linden Ponds but wasn't quite ready for a move, so she joined the Linden Ponds priority list and would come for events fairly often. Through the years, we had established a friendship. Moving from her family home was a very emotional and difficult decision."

Caseau kept in touch with the woman, and when she was ready to put her house on the market, the staff at Linden Ponds and their preferred real estate agents were able to help her. As a result, the house sold quickly and the resident was able to move to Linden Ponds before the holidays.

"On the day she was moving into Linden Ponds, the team had placed a Christmas wreath on her door and decorated her apartment with candles, so when she arrived, she would feel at home," Caseau says. "She was overcome with emotion. In the past few weeks, we've bumped into each other quite a few times and she has shared with me that she is so happy living here."

In all of her conversations with community members, Caseau says one thing she hears over and over again is that they wished they had made the move sooner. That is why she works so hard to help future residents overcome any obstacles that may be preventing them from starting their worry-free retirement at Linden Ponds.

"Don't wait any longer; let us help you with every step," she says. "There is so much to enjoy here—two clubhouses, four restaurants, more than 100 different resident-run clubs. I guarantee that when you get here, you will wish that you made the move sooner."

South Shore resident

Caseau lives on the South Shore. Prior to coming to Linden Ponds almost 15 years ago, she volunteered in the school system when her children were young and later became a coteacher at the Silver Lake Middle School in Kingston, Mass.

"I was a strong advocate for children with special needs working with students in school and in their home setting," she says.

One thing her colleagues and community members at Linden Ponds may not know about Caseau is that when she was younger, she organized a team of family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers to do the "Walk to Find a Cure for Arthritis," and they raised over $30,000 for the cause. 

When Caseau isn't working, she enjoys spending time with her large extended family. She has 8 brothers and sisters and 18 nieces and nephews. 

"In my spare time I love to garden and to walk on Nantasket beach," Caseau says.