When Roy and Frances Moore planned for retirement to Summerland and the Okanagan Valley 20 years ago, they didn’t consider they’d be returning back to their home city of Prince George.
But circumstances and opportunity aligned in the past few months, along with a little nudge from their daughter, Sue Cote, to bring the couple back to the city they had called home for almost 40 years.
A few months ago, when Sue, a resident of Prince George, saw a RiverBend advertisement in the local newspaper, she was drawn to the idea of independent suite ownership for seniors, with flexible services and amenities in her hometown. While there was nothing like it when her parents had left the city two decades ago, here was a new opportunity to live in a place that had what the Moores wanted at this point in their life.
In Summerland, the Moore’s enjoyed the scenic Okanagan lifestyle, but they were several hours away from the rest of the family to the north, and they were somewhat isolated from services and amenities. In comparison, Sue realized the location of RiverBend to downtown Prince George, along with health and other services close by, all matched well with her parents’ current needs.
The fact that there were numerous amenities and services all planned to be offered within RiverBend, such as optional meals, cleaning and laundry, activities and spaces for hobbies, crafts and games, also proved advantageous.
“I went down to the Pine Centre Mall where the RiverBend Kiosk is, and talked to the Sales Manager, Judy… Then I was calling my parents saying ‘I put a down payment on a condo for you.’”
The decision has proven to be a good one.
“After I downloaded and printed off the information about RiverBend and sent it to them, they were thrilled. It’s been a big ease off their shoulders – to be in the same place where their children and grandchildren are, to be with the family,” added Sue.
The Moores are also looking forward to reconnecting with friends, some who are moving into RiverBend as well. And they are pleased to be reconnecting with their congregation at their former Prince George church and taking advantage of the amenities at RiverBend such as the community garden, craft room and workshop.
“It’s a homecoming for them for sure. They have so many friends, some who are moving to RiverBend, too.”