Glenmeadow to Hold Open House
Visit with residents and experience retirement community living firsthand
LONGMEADOW–Mildred and Gabe Kitchener lived on Williams Street in Longmeadow for over 50 years, and they loved the beautiful, four-bedroom home they raised their two children in. They were paying attention, though, when their next door neighbors, Naomi and the late Mickey Schoenberg, moved to Glenmeadow, a retirement community across town.
“They invited us to have dinner there with them in the dining room, and we loved their apartment,” Mildred Kitchener, who’s known as “Cissie,” said.
So when the Kitcheners decided their home was too much to take care of on their own, they packed up and moved to Glenmeadow too, settling in in September 2015.
“Now we can enjoy ourselves,” Cissie Kitchener said. “We love it here. They take care of your every need. They call you by your first name, and they make you feel special.”
The Kitcheners are among 156 residents at Glenmeadow, an accredited not-for-profit retirement community known for its holistic mission and innovative programs and outreach to the wider community. In hopes of demystifying the lifestyle choice, the community will open the doors to some of its apartments on Sunday, May 22 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Area residents who are considering alternative living situations, for themselves or for someone they care about, are welcome to stop by, look at floors plans and visit with residents like the Kitcheners and staff members as well.
Linda Edwards, marketing director, said independent and assisted living options of up to 1,500 square feet are available at Glenmeadow. “Extra support is available to those who need it, and we have a variety of services and programs as well,” Edwards said.
Information will also be available on Glenmeadow’s programs that serve the wider community, such as Glenmeadow Getaways, the travel program, and the Lifestyle Pass, through which community members can access programs and amenities at the retirement community but still live at home.
Home and property services, such as housekeeping and handyman services, are also available to those 62 and over living throughout the area through Glenmeadow at Home.
“Glenmeadow offers everything you need for a fulfilling life,” Edwards said.
Registration for the open house is preferred by contacting Torrie Dearborn at tdearborn@glenmeadow.org or 413-567-5547.
Gabe Kitchener is a retired podiatrist; Cissie Kitchener is a retired dental hygienist. They love their two-bedroom apartment at Glenmeadow and, longtime athletes who play golf and walk, they make good use of the community’s wellness center, taking yoga and fitness classes together several times a week.
Cissie Kitchener takes a creative writing class at Glenmeadow. Gabe Kitchener takes out dozens of detective novels in the library, and together they eat lunch in the café, dinner in the dining room, and they take frequent van trips to the museum and other events.
“They make everyone feel like they’re important, and that’s a good feeling,” Cissie Kitchener said.
Said Gabe Kitchener, “I call it my home away from home.”
Patricia “Pat” Smith is another resident who said she settled into her Glenmeadow apartment with ease—but Smith came from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, much further away.
Smith raised three children in Waynesburg and lived there for over 50 years with her late husband, G. Wayne Smith. She was involved at First Baptist Church and the local hospital as a volunteer. She played bridge with friends. She was a member of groups that raised funds for education and women’s issues.
But, like the Kitcheners, there came a time when Smith couldn’t take care of the house, the car and the yard by herself. Her daughter Leslie Smith Frank had taught mindfulness classes at Glenmeadow for many years and developed close connections with staff; she helped Smith make the move in June 2015.
“Of course it was a gigantic change. It was a completely different lifestyle to come here,” said Smith, who has three children, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. “I just felt right at home here right away. Everybody was so nice and helpful, and I made real friends very soon.”
Now, Smith plays bridge four afternoons a week in several Glenmeadow clubs. She sings in the Glee Club, takes yoga class, and she sees Leslie and her husband, James Frank and their four grown children as often as they are able. Smith goes on Glenmeadow’s various trips to the symphony and other events, and she attends the frequent musical programs and lectures on site.
“I’ve just been made to feel at home here very quickly, and I think I’ve adjusted to the new lifestyle very nicely,” she said. “I think it’s a beautiful, beautiful area, and Glenmeadow itself is quite lovely.”
Established in 1884, Glenmeadow is a nonprofit, accredited continuing care retirement community; it provides independent and assisted living at its campus at 24 Tabor Crossing in Longmeadow and expanded Glenmeadow at Home services throughout greater Springfield.
To learn more about Glenmeadow and its history and offerings, visit www.glenmeadow.org.
About Glenmeadow
In the 1800s, elderly individuals without family or means were sent to live at what was called “the poor farm.” In 1884, a group of civic leaders raised funds among themselves and other area families and purchased a house on Main Street in Springfield’s south end. Quickly outgrowing that house, land was purchased on the corner of Chestnut and Carew streets, where a new home was constructed and opened in 1900. In 1960, the name was changed to Chestnut Knoll, and in 1992, it began to admit men.
In 1993, the organization purchased a 23-acre parcel in Longmeadow to build a new community that would provide both independent living and assisted living in one building with various common areas. This was a new concept known as a continuing care retirement community. Existing residents from the old Chestnut Knoll property were moved to the new campus in 1997. Shortly after the move, the board voted to change its legal name to Glenmeadow to coincide with the name being used by the developer of the property.
