| One of the first
things that you will notice when you are driving into Heron Point is that
it is located in a nice residential neighborhood and is at one end of a
town street, just five blocks from the main north-south highway.
Entering the campus, you first glimpse a cluster of cottages and, turning
to the right, you will eventually come to the central building. On
the way there, you will probably catch sight of the Chester River, one
of the boundaries of Heron Point. The receptionist in the central
building's lobby will put you in contact with someone from Marketing, and
you will be given a tour of our 'digs.' As part of your tour, you
will be shown an apartment or a cottage, or both. Also, should you
be fortunate enough to schedule your visit in advance on a weekday and
over lunch, you might even be invited to have lunch with a couple of residents.
Heron Point is a not-for-profit, continuing care retirement
community that looks like a small, nicely landscaped, waterfront development
of cottages and apartments. Despite being an organized community,
it offers an unusual degree of personal freedom ranging from the lack of
a requirement to belong to any meal plan to the privilege of gardening
almost ad lib. We have the freedom to make modifications in our living
quarters, and we may even have pets in our apartments or cottages.
We are a small community (less than three hundred residents),
a friendly, outgoing, lively group of folks who are as much engaged in
activities in the town as in our own community. Some
have continued some business connections, some go back to college,
some volunteer in the hospital or local schools, many sail, play golf or
participate in discussion groups, some do water testing in the state's
environmental program, many garden, more play bridge, many do woodworking
and some go kayaking or canoeing or boating on the Chester River.
You may see a evidence of some of the activities while you are on the tour.
One of the rooms in the main building, called the Activities
Room (of course), hosts groups doing water colors, bird carving, ceramics
and holiday crafts, just to name a few activities. And just a few
steps away, there is a well-equipped woodshop. Upstairs on the way
to the dining room, you may notice a small glass enclosed cabinet in which
there are usually displays of some of our residents' crafts or collections.
Further down the hall is a chest on chest that was assembled and finished
by residents. But these are just some of the indoor happenings.
Gardening, both flower and vegetable is a major hobby, and this happens
both within Heron Point and also within the park in Chestertown.
Our computer club, the Heron Point Internet Users Group  includes
members from the surrounding area as well as residents and staff.
The buildings are only a part of, and not the more
important part of, Heron Point. Truly, the two most important parts
of a community are the residents and the staff. You want friendly,
interesting neighbors, and helpful, dedicated staff. Heron Point
has both.
|
