Residents of Aberdeen Crossings and Beachwood Commons are linked by a desire to embrace independence

By Mary Malik

It’s fall in Northeast Ohio, and that means change. And with change comes opportunity. The staff at Aberdeen Crossings and Beachwood Commons assisted living communities understands that change can be difficult, especially when it involves leaving your home for a new one. Aberdeen Crossings and Beachwood Commons Residents are thriving—and embracing new opportunities.

Aberdeen Crossings
Since 2009, families in Highland Heights have relied on Aberdeen Crossings to improve the quality of life for family members who need help with everything from basic assistance all the way to full-time and end-of-life care.

“It’s easy to delay a move to an assisted living environment,” says Jocelyn Zidar, Community Director. “But the time to think about that move is when daily difficulties surface.”

Staff members at Aberdeen Crossings specialize in helping you sort through every aspect of this move, and together come to the best decision for you and your family.

“We understand this change can be difficult, but it may be necessary for the safety and security of you or a loved one,” says Jocelyn. “We see people every day who came here uncertain and are now able to let go of the stress of living alone and enjoy life again.”

Laverne Capello and Roz Myers are a testament to the fact that new friends and new opportunities can be found at any age. Laverne and Roz, also known as “Laverne and Shirley” around Aberdeen Crossings, found each other and so much more.

“The best thing is that I made this decision myself,” says Laverne. “I decided where I will spend the rest of my life. The first thing I noticed was that everyone was smiling. I knew then this was the place for me.”

A few months after Laverne, Roz moved into the apartment across the hall.

“To be honest, I fought the move,” says Roz. “I had been on my own for several years, but once I moved in it didn’t take me long to adjust. Laverne had a lot to do with that. There’s a group of about 10 of us who meet for meals, bingo, casino night, outings to restaurants and just like being together. On your own, it’s difficult to get out. I love it and so do my two cats.”

Laverne and Roz describe life at Aberdeen Crossings as a caring environment where they feel safe and secure. And their daughters have also become friends.

“The kids don’t have to worry about us anymore,” says Laverne. “And we know that all we have to do is press a button and someone will be here to help if we need it. We are safe, secure and happy.”

Beachwood Commons
Ruth and Bill Fielder had a dilemma when they made the decision to move to Beachwood Commons Assisted Living last winter. They discovered that their new apartment wasn’t able to accommodate everything they wanted to bring with them.

“We cut down on the furnishings from our home where we raised our four children, but still needed more space. They combined two apartments into one just for us,” says Bill.

“We will do whatever it takes to ensure our residents are comfortable in their new home,” says Ivy Kopit, Senior Living Counselor.“We are a true aging in place Community adjusting resident’s care according to their individual needs. Where our hope is for our residents to be able to remain in their same apartment home throughout their residency.”

Someone familiar with that is Helen Joyce, who moved to Beachwood Commons with her husband and her disabled son.

“It was time to make this move and they made sure we could all be close together,” says Helen. “I’ve made real friendships here and enjoy community living. As a wife and mother of five children, I was used to a lot of activity. I had been making decisions most of my life with others in mind. It was time to make one just for me, and that was to move to Beachwood Commons. I couldn’t be happier.”

Residents arrive requiring varying levels of care, and their care costs will reflect only the amount of care that a resident needs or requests.

Older adults have helped us understand how much they value their independence,” says Ivy. “We also know that older adults value their freedom and choice, and that is expressed in our individual plan of service and care for each of our residents.”

Aberdeen Crossings and Beachwood Commons operate each and every day with independence, privacy, dignity and choice as goals for all residents.

“As we age, often these things are taken away from us,” says Ivy. “Our focus is to help them get as much back, as possible.”

Aberdeen Crossings is located at 399 Bishop Road in Highland Heights. For more information or to schedule a personal visit, call 440-460-0686. Beachwood Commons is located at 3995 Green Road in Beachwood. For more information or to schedule a personal visit, call 216-295-1700. Both are LifeServices communities. For additional information, visit LifeServicesAssistedLiving.com.