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Delaware County native comes home

Area’s beauty, convenience, and Erickson Living community make it a perfect fit

Jacqueline Kimball
October 17, 2018

Sarah Foreacre grew up in Delaware County, Pa. So when she moved to Maris Grove, Erickson Living's retirement community in Delaware County, she was coming home.

For the previous six years she lived at a small retirement community in Chester County's farm country. But the rural environment she enjoyed also required her to drive to whatever she wanted to do.

"I was driving a lot to be with family," she says.

Sarah has three children and six grandchildren, some in Delaware County and some in New Jersey. Since her move she visits them every week, and she's delighted that her youngest grandchild, a three-year-old boy, is now just 30 minutes away.

She's also close to the verdant environment of Longwood Gardens and can roam the beautiful Brandywine Valley.

Delaware County abounds in retirement communities, but Sarah found Maris Grove an easy choice. Its fee-for-service model of on-site continuing care ensures her future and gives her and her children peace of mind.

Maris Grove's other campus amenities add an extra level of convenience to her life.

She experienced its maintenance-free living soon after her move. When her microwave stopped working, the maintenance team promptly came to repair it. When the fix didn't take, they replaced the microwave.

Sarah didn't need to sit around and wait for the team to show up either time. She simply gave permission for them to enter her apartment, went off to her activities, and came home to a new appliance.

Better value

Her monthly service package is slightly higher than she paid at her previous community because she's getting much, much more in terms of on-site amenities and programs. "You get what you pay for," Sarah says.

"Maris Grove has more people, so we have more activities offered," she says. That's a big plus because Sarah likes to be active and involved.

Neither a collector nor a crafter, she doesn't need space for lots of "stuff." Her studio apartment suits her just fine because she's rarely home.

She jumped into Maris Grove's world of clubs and special-interest groups as soon as she moved. Within six months Sarah belonged to eight different groups, including the walking club, Wii bowling group, and the computer club.

She also volunteers with the entertainment committee and with Treasure Chest, the campus resale shop whose proceeds benefit Maris Grove's resident care fund.

On-campus lectures and videos, such as a recent national parks series presented by Maris Grove's education committee, capture her interest too.

Sarah's involvements take her to all three campus neighborhoods. And she can dine at any of Maris Grove's six campus restaurants.

Unprecedented convenience

In inclement weather she gets to all of them indoors via the community's circuit of hallways and climate-controlled bridges. Come winter, that will serve her well as she pursues her goal of walking four miles a day.

Sarah dislikes driving in snow, and at Maris Grove she doesn't have to. "There are shuttles five days a week so I can use them to go shopping," she says. "And I can walk to Concordville Town Center; it's just next door."

Her doctor is a Maris Grove staff physician who practices in the campus medical center. "And any specialists I might need are across the road," Sarah says.

Not having to drive unless she really wants to is a year-round benefit she truly appreciates.

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