Making the Move and Loving It!
A visit to one of Friendship Village's marketing events opened up a whole new world to Lois and Herb Kazan. The former residents of Des Plaines confess that they almost threw the invitation away when it arrived at their home in Des Plaines. Although they'd been contemplating downsizing, they weren't sure which way to go. “We didn't know what we wanted to do,” said Lois. “We talked about a new home, a condo, the whole gamut.”
On a whim, they decided to attend Friendship Village's event. “We didn't know anything about senior retirement communities and so we hadn't even considered it as an option,” Lois said. The lunch was great, and the couple was inspired by the lifestyle that speaker Dean Dellaria, director of sales, said that Friendship Village could offer. Shortly thereafter they decided to tour the community and were immediately impressed. “It was very lovely. But we knew that if moving to a retirement community was what we were going to do, we wanted to do it right,” Lois said.
Lois and Herb subsequently investigated more than a dozen other communities throughout the area. “We really did our homework and had many discussions about the pros and the cons,” Lois said. They returned for a second look at Friendship Village. “Because we'd seen the other places, we knew this was it,” Lois recalled.
Once the decision was made that Friendship Village was where they wanted to be, they faced what they thought would be the daunting task of selling their home of 41 years. They needn't have feared. With the help of realtor Royal Hartwig, they put their home on the market and within four days, had three offers. “All of the stars were aligned,” said Lois. “We closed for our new apartment at the end of March, took possession on April 1st, and moved on April 30th. Our house closed on May 7th, we left for a long-planned cruise on May 10th, and came back two weeks later to a whole new life style. Everything was meant to be.”
The couple has been busy since moving into their new home, getting involved in a variety of activities. “We can do whatever we want to do, and we don't have to do anything that doesn't appeal to us. We make our own schedule. I like to be busy; Herb is more of a reader. It's perfect,” Lois said.
“Our family was overwhelmed when they walked in. Our grandchildren think we're living in a hotel or on a cruise ship.” she said. The couple is thrilled that they moved when they did, rather than putting off the decision. “We did the right thing. Health-wise we're fine so we're able to enjoy everything. It's also a good feeling that we've taken the burden off of our children. We made the decision ourselves. Our daughter lives 750 miles away and she was particularly relieved. We have friends, we have care, we'll be helped no matter what,” she said.
Friendship Village is a leading Chicago retirement community offering a complete continuum of care including independent living garden homes and apartment homes, as well as assisted living, memory support, skilled care, and short- and long-term rehabilitation services. For more than 35 years, Friendship Village has been providing Chicago area seniors with exceptional retirement living options. Friendship Village is located at 350 W. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg. For additional information visit www.friendshipvillage.org or call 847/490-0271.