Passions Grow, Passions Bloom:

The Willow Valley Communities Day Spa is a destination for wellness and renewal. Its a critical component of the comprehensive Mind, Body, Spirit approach to wellness of Willow Valley Communities. The Day Spa offers many ways to soothe, calm, invigorate, or rejuvenate. A full range of professional services, all performed by our attentive and inviting staff, allows Residents to create their own regimen for personal well-being and beauty. These services include manicures and pedicures, skin care, facials, revitalizing peels, waxing, tanning, microdermabrasion, and body treatments with a wide range of different massage modalities, wraps, and scrubs. The Relaxation Room, with its beautiful waterfall and Himalayan Salt Wall, is a main feature of The Day Spa. It provides a peaceful and well-appointed environment in which to relax and offers a perfect and welcome respite between services. Himalayan salt rich in negative ions and essential nutrients and minerals offers numerous health benefits for our bodies, such as stress reduction, energy increases, and mood boosts at a biochemical level. Day Spa Manager Diamando Wallace says, Self-care is essential. Although manicures and pedicures are a well-deserved treat, they offer so much more to Residents sense of well-being. You can see the boost in a clients self-confidence as they walk out feeling refreshed.  Massages are one of the most popular services requested by Residents, and The Day Spa offers a wide menu of options, including hot stone and aromatherapy. Emily Ransing, Willow Valley Communities Day Spa Massage Therapist, says, Massage is meant to enhance your well-being physically and mentally. I frequently remind my clients that this is their time to focus on themselves to feel healthier. I do all I can to send each client home feeling better than when they arrived. A Willow Valley Communities Resident was asked about her massage as she was leaving The Day Spa one afternoon. She said, After a massage with Emily, your body is so relaxed that you can focus on the things that you often overlook the air is sweeter, the birds are more melodious, the day is brighter. You are better equipped to face the next days, whatever they may bring. As she walked out of the Cultural Center to her car, she added with a smile, Its also a way to take the tension out of your body although theres not much tension at Willow Valley Communities!

Willow Valley Communities Manager of Sales, Margie Seagers, has been pleasantly surprised by the recent increased interest shes received from prospects wanting to learn more about life in our communities. As 2020 came to a close, she found many seniors in a reflective mood, examining where they had been, where they are now, as well as where and how they want to spend the next phase of their lives.   Ive been hearing from seniors that they want the increased support from a community they can trust, Margie said. She added that the people shes been hearing from have been doing a good job at staying safe in their own homes, but over time its gotten pretty lonely. Its also been difficult to have consistent services on their own during the pandemic. As much as people say they can depend on their adult children or close friends to help them, there does come a time when that person is unable to help because of their own family obligations. Margie has also found that Willow Valley Communities 35-plus years reputation of excellence in senior living means even more now to seniors especially Baby Boomers. She said that Lifecare, Willow Valley Communities financially smart contract that promises supportive care, if ever needed, without an increase to monthly service fees, especially has caught their attention. Baby Boomers traditionally want to feel empowered to make their own decisions, and theyve spent their time researching. They desire a secure community environment, but they want the facts, and Willow Valley Communities has several ways to tell them more about what senior living options are available to them. We are happy to have that conversation, in person or online, to give them all the information they need to make a decision that is right for them, she said.   Margie said shes had many visitors who have come to Willow Valley Communities during the COVID-19 pandemic for a safe, socially distant, in-person informational meeting. The process is very easy, she explained. Everyone goes through our screening process at the Cultural Center just two minutes away from the Welcome Center, where we then can meet. The Welcome Center has specially adapted, socially distant and private meeting areas. Prospects can comfortably meet with a Sales Counselor and get all the information they need about becoming a Resident at Willow Valley Communities. Tours are available for those interested in seeing more. For those who prefer a virtual meeting from the comfort of their own home, that is also easy to arrange. Willow Valley Communities Sales Counselors are happy to arrange an online Zoom meeting at a prospects convenience. And its as detailed as an in-person meeting, Margie noted. Willow Valley Communities Sales Counselors are known for their thorough knowledge of senior living and are able to explain all options thoroughly during an online meeting. She also said that, if needed, Sales Counselors can show close-up features of a specific residence, virtually, to a prospective Resident. Plus, virtual tours of Willow Valley Communities campus are always available online at WillowValleyCommunities.org. Its almost like being right here! Margie quipped. If youre considering a move to a secure senior living community, Willow Valley Communities is ready to provide all the information you need, whenever and however you wish. Whether its in person, online by appointment, or through WillowValleyCommunities.org, Willow Valley Communities is available to help you imagine your Life Lived Forward.

Moving to a senior living community is far more than simply moving to a new locationit involves moving to a new way of life. An extraordinary lifestyle awaits new Residents at Willow Valley Communities, and in order for them to embrace and engage in that new lifestyle, Resident Life Coach Barry Sipe and his team are available to make the transition super smooth.Barrys Resident Life Coach role is a dedicated position that offers support, serves as a resource, and offers a coaching relationship to new Residents so that they have what they need to begin their Life Lived Forward at Willow Valley Communities. Sometimes this relationship starts before moving in. Barry works closely with Resident Mentors and Willow Valley Communities Senior Relocation Advisor, Erin Weagly, and Relocation Specialist, Ali Wills.Barrys background in education and counseling makes him well-suited for this role. He starts with a Residents immediate needs. Is it helping to set up their computer? Is it to help them register for an art or fitness class? Or maybe they need help deciding where to dine, or they need assistance with the shuttle procedure, Barry says. He can help with all those early questions about how things work and so much more. He covers it all.He tells the story of a new Resident whose dog was anxious about his new surroundings and was barking a lot. The Resident was apprehensive to leave her dog alone. Barry contacted the Willow Valley Communities Pet Club, which offered to find a pet sitter to stay with the dog so the Resident could get out and explore her new community.Barry also coordinates and trains Resident Mentors. This program is a sort of structured welcome wagon, where Mentorscurrent Residentsremain in contact with Residents for approximately six weeks after they move in. They will guide, answer questions, and help them get acclimated to Willow Valley Communities and the surrounding areas. They will also introduce them to others.Barry helps to present at the New Resident Orientation and holds New Resident Happy Hours and even a New Resident Support Group. These are all ways new Residents can meet new friends and get everything they need to fully embrace Willow Valley Communities as their home, he says.Barrys involvement doesnt end once the new Resident is no longer new, either. He is always available and relishes his role as a resource. He explains that as time goes on, there are more things to discover at Willow Valley Communities, and if Residents ever have questions, all they need to do is reach out to him.Barry is also a resource for those who need help navigating a major life change. My role is to be aware and offer ongoing support. Often, its just pointing Residents in the right direction to what they need. He works within the Resident Life Department headed by Stacy Musser, Senior Director of Resident Life, so he is familiar with all of Willow Valley Communities current offerings and services and can easily facilitate those connections.Barry says that one of the top points of anxiety hes seen with moves to Willow Valley Communities is getting technology and all things electronic reconnected. Hes grateful for two clubs that new Residents can easily call on for assistance, the Willow Valley Communities Computer Club and the Apple Users Club of Willow Valley Communities. Both groups provide amazing support to Residents who need help at any level. These are Resident volunteers who are experts in their fields and can help with anything. They even make house calls! he chuckles.Barry says theres nothing that makes him happier than to get an email or a phone call from a new Resident who says, Thank you for that lead! That was exactly what I was looking for! Reflecting, he says, I so enjoy when a need is met and those connections are made. Its truly an honor and a privilege to be a part of a new Residents life at this most exciting time.