Marge Ovanek spent her life with her husband and family in Hammond. But when it came time to move to a location with a little more care and security, Marge says she and her husband went into a nursing home before coming to Residences at Deer Creek. “I’d never go back. Before my husband passed away, he said he wanted to find a better place for me. He wanted me to live in a lovely place,” Marge said.
When her son witnessed the Residences at Deer Creek being built, she says he knew it was the right place for his mom. As a result, she was the first person to move into her apartment when the complex opened and she has never been happier. “This place takes good care of you. It is so beautiful here. The staff is excellent. They are the best people and so kind to me. I’ve gotten to know them really well, right from the start,” she says.
The Residences at Deer Creek is a senior living community offering as much or as little assistance as you need. They offer private apartments ranging from studios to two bedrooms with two baths and with private balconies on select units. It is located on US 30 in Schererville, minutes east of Highway 41. They are different from other senior living communities since they offer strong physician support and affiliation. You can use your physician or ours. They offer the latest in care technologies to augment your current health and wellness practices. And they bring green building methods and technologies that are incorporated for a healthy living environment.
Although Marge needs a little extra help since she is confined to a wheelchair, she says that the staff finds the perfect balance for her. “I have my own apartment and if I need help of any kind they are there to help, like when I need assistance showering. You have the best care here and you feel really safe,” she says.
One of Marge’s favorite aspects of new living at the Residences at Deer Creek is the food. “Oh, the food!” she says. “You are not in a cafeteria like they have at a nursing home. Here you select what you want to eat from a menu. This is a restaurant, and the dining room is so nice.”
Marge may be living on her own now, but she is never alone at the Residences of Deer Creek. Not only is the staff a constant support net for Marge, but so are her neighbors. She says, “You make friends here in no time. I have five people who are attached to me and I’m attached to them. We make arrangements to eat dinner together every day.”
So contented and delighted with her life at the Residences of Deer Creek, Marge says it comes down to one observation for her. “I just can’t think of a better place to spend your Golden Years,” she says.
A Peace of Mind for Families
Rita Tripp recently faced that tough decision over how to best care for her aging parent and says that this difficult choice for her family was made easier, thanks to the Residences at Deer Creek. Tripp says her 83-year-old mother from Calumet City was simply not able to care for herself any longer. “We lost my dad last May. He and my mom were married 60 years and she did okay for a few months, but then got sick and was in and out of the hospital. She started to suffer from dementia a little and didn’t think about things like drinking water and eating, but it was impossible for the family to be there for her all the time, to make sure she was taking care of herself. We knew we couldn’t have her home alone and we couldn’t afford a caretaker. We looked around a lot and found the Residences of Deer Creek,” says Tripp, which was an event-changing day for her mom and the family.
“When we walked in, it was just beautiful. We liked that the Residences at Deer Creek had good memory care facility because she may need that someday. And everyone is so friendly and helpful. But for us, one of the best features of the Residences at Deer Creek is the restaurant. It’s wonderful that you can go down to the restaurant any time of day and order from a waiter or waitress, right off the menu. Their meals are made by chefs and they change the menu by season. They even have a show kitchen and just the other day the residents made a pie with the chef. We don’t want them cooking in their rooms, we want them going down to the restaurant and engaging. My mom is treated as a human being,” she says.
Another aspect of life at the Residences of Deer Creek that appeals to Tripp and her family is the opportunities for physical and social stimulation. “The life enrichment instructor has been so fantastic, getting the residents exercising, doing dumbbells, and my mom was on the exercise bike the other day. I can’t tell you the last time she’s been on an exercise bike!” Tripp says.
For her family, the Residences of Deer Creek provide a peace of mind. Tripp says, “The fact that my mom can be independent, have her own place, but be safe and we won’t have to worry that she’ll drive off somewhere or she’ll fall means everything to us. The residents all have the alert necklace on so someone is right there. Even if they’re just lonely, they can push the button. If they can’t reach something on their shelf, they can push the button. If they wake up in the middle of the night and are scared, they can push the button. The staff genuinely cares for my mom’s well-being. Now my mom can have her dignity and relax. It’s her time to let someone else wait on her. Our mom provided us with a clean happy home our whole lives and now it’s time for us to do the same for her.”
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