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The author evaluates retirement center life through interviews, shared meals, and tours, then describes relocating to Wesley Glen Retirement Center. It emphasizes staff and volunteer support, continued growth, meaningful activities, and compassionate end-of-life care, concluding that a well-chosen community can transform daily living with purpose and 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Man","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-20","2026-09-29",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":44},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Why does the author revisit the idea of waiting to die?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Sara’s call and her children’s plans trigger the author’s awareness of needing realistic living arrangements, including finding a way to continue living rather than merely waiting.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What decision process leads to moving into the retirement center?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"An interview with the retirement center’s executive director, followed by a lunch and a tour, allows the author and daughter to assess policies, waiting list terms, and health care support.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How does the retirement center help residents live each day?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Staff operate on the premise that residents live—not wait to die—creating conditions for happiness, growth, volunteer opportunities, and professional, kind care when supervision is needed.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},438465,1790989805,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":52,"category_name":53,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":44,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":44,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},7421720224475,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","Waiting?No!Living!  \nMy telephone rang and Sara petulantly an-nounced,\"My children have made the arrange-ments.I am to go into Hope Home and wait todie.\"I knew her children were examining pos-sible plans for her care.Two had stated em-phatically,\"We're not putting her into any home!\"The others faced the problem of family provid-ing round-the-clock care for an ill or partiallysenile parent.  \nSome time later,I became aware thatI neededto look realistically at my own living arrange-ments.When a neighbor observed,\"I never seeyou sitting outside enjoying your flowers,\"myunwilling reply was that after the work was doneI had no time or energy to enjoy anything.Iknew a different pattern must be found withfewer demands on physical strength.But thisneed not mean just marking time and \"waitingto die.\"  \nMy home held treasured memories collectedduring two happy marriages,but I discoveredI could separate myself from tangible objectsand still retain my memories.Memories do nottake up space.\"Let's go through the house,\"Itold my children,\"and find what you can usenow.You do not have the memories that Ihave.\"A friend asked,\"After you sell yourhouse will you go to live with your son?\"Ireplied,\"No,thank you.He and his family aremy friends.I want to keep it that way.Today'shouses and busy family lifestyles are not meantto include an extra person.I am looking at re-tirement centers.\"  \nMy daughter and I had an interview with theexecutive director at a retirement center nearwhere she lives.After a tasty lunch in the cheer-ful dining room and a tour of the buildings,weshared our conclusions:\"I know I'd enjoy thebeauty of the spacious grounds,\"I said.Shenoted,\"Their business policies and proceduresappear sound.If you pay the initial fees now,you will be on the waiting list—but if you shouldneed immediate health care,the Health Centerwould take you at any time.\"In time my nameclimbed to the top of the long waiting list.I  \nBlooma Miller Lockard  \n(center,standing)  \nand companion  \n\"supervise\"two  \nvolunteer gardeners  \n—allresidents ofWesley Glen  \nRetirement Center.  \nmoved in five years ago.  \nIhave found that the director and staff operateon the premise that the residents have come tolive—not to \"wait to die.\"We can stillgrow aspersons and enjoy as many pursuits as our healthand alertness permit.The employees in admin-istrative offices,housekeeping,food servicesand maintenance reveal,in a variety of ways,their belief that each individual is a vitally im-portant person.They create a setting in whichwe can be happy if we wish to be.When ourhealth requires continuous supervision,we knowthat in the Health Center the nursing staff willgive us professional and kind care.We are notdenying the inevitability of death.We arehelped to live each day as we can,participatingin the interesting and rewardingexperiences thatthe staff makes available or that we find inde-pendently—plays,concerts,trips,meetings.  \nAt first I felt like a guest.But i began to feelat home as I joined others in taking advantageof the many opportunities to do volunteer workin the library,snack shop,Health Center oroutdoor landscaping.I soon agreed with a friendwho said,\"I know I′m going to die some day,but I'd like to put it off until tomorrow.I havetoo much to do today.\"  \nIn humility I watch the courage of many hid-ing their pains and sorrows.Doris Mae,movingalong with two canes,stopped,smiled andproudly announced,“I walked the circle threetimes today.\"In uncountable,thoughtful acts,residents help each other—far surpassing themoments of friction and undeserved criticism.  \nA carefully selected retirement center may notbe the right answer for everyone.It certainly hasbeen for me.If Sara were to ring my telephonetoday,I would without reservation tellher,\"Ivemoved into the Wesley Glen Retirement Center.Am I waiting to die?No!I′m living each dayfully,and helping others as I continue to growas a person.Life has meaning and I amhappy.\"—Blooma Miller Lockard  \n| the cutting edge  \u003Cbr>● In or","cbCail1ZmpefhsGy","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCail1ZmpefhsGy","pdf",2196004,"English","# Waiting?No!Living!\n## Family concern and reassessment of life\n## Choosing a retirement center\n## Living purposefully through community and support","[{\"question\":\"Why does the author revisit the idea of waiting to die?\",\"answer\":\"Sara’s call and her children’s plans trigger the author’s awareness of needing realistic living arrangements, including finding a way to continue living rather than merely waiting.\"},{\"question\":\"What decision process leads to moving into the retirement center?\",\"answer\":\"An interview with the retirement center’s executive director, followed by a lunch and a tour, allows the author and daughter to assess policies, waiting list terms, and health care support.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the retirement center help residents live each day?\",\"answer\":\"Staff operate on the premise that residents live—not wait to die—creating conditions for happiness, growth, volunteer opportunities, and professional, kind care when supervision is needed.\"}]","Waiting?No!Living! - Blooma Miller Lockard | PDF",1790685444,14]