The Challenge

Cissie Kitchener, Resident, Independent Living

Cissie Kitchener and her late husband, Gabe, lived in Longmeadow for 50 years. Their friends and next-door neighbors, the Schoenbergs, moved here and invited the Kitcheners for dinner. Gabe was ready to move; Cissie wasn’t. She acquiesced in 2016; “We were hiring people to help us because Gabe couldn’t do as much around the house anymore,” Cissie says.

How We Helped

We offered both Cissie and Gabe help with wellness and they took advantage of our community’s lifestyle. They exercised in the mornings, attended lectures in the afternoons, and enjoyed entertainment in the evening. Gabe enjoyed art classes and reading outside on our patio. Together, Cissie and Gabe sat on the Resident Board and helped oversee the library. “Glenmeadow says it cares for people in body, mind, and spirit,” Cissie says. “That’s really true.”

The Result

In addition to the activities she still takes part in, Cissie also sits down for meals with people who are thinking about a move to Glenmeadow. “I found that people here made me feel welcome,” says Cissie. “And that’s how I try to make other people feel. I want them to feel that they have a family here at Glenmeadow.”