April 9th Meeting

Both Peggy Farrington, Administrator and  Andrea Killiard, Marketing Director at Piper Shores presented “Senior Living Options”. They began by emphasizing their goal was not to sell us. Their web site, http://www.pipershores.org/  describes the facility: “Among Maine retirement communities, Piper Shores is Maine’s first and only nonprofit lifecare retirement community. Piper Shores is also the only retirement community in Maine to be accredited by CARF/CCAC.

 

“Offering independent living apartments and cottages and high quality amenities in a spectacular coastal setting near Portland, Maine, Piper Shores gives you the freedom to pursue an active lifestyle and the retirement of your dreams. As a lifecare retirement community, Piper Shores provides residents with the peace of mind of never having to worry about making new plans to move as health concerns arise over time. That’s because Piper Shores lifecare retirement community combines all the advantages of independent living plus guaranteed priority access to onsite assisted living and skilled nursing care if needed. Lifecare at Piper Shores also means that you will always have a predictable monthly payment regardless of your level of care. Unlike other retirement communities in Maine, Piper Shores’ entrance fee for independent living Apartments and cottages is Ninety percent (90%) refundable to residents. The refund will either go to their estate or to the resident directly if they move out on their own.”

There is no age limit. Andrea stated that a 99-year old senior recently moved into a independent living unit. However, she stressed that times change and said that “Baby Boomers” (born between 1942-1964) are really driving their programing now. She noted that they had recently expanded their pool along with other recreational facilities to accommodate this active generation.

After reviewing a myriad of possibilities, Peggy & Andrea stressed the need to investigate & plan especially with the average cost of a nursing home being $9,000 to 10,000 per month. If you are interested in a particular home you need to act. They urged us drop in unannounced to observe and obtain a sense of the operation. 

Piper Shores is not for profit. You do not need to be a resident to be admitted to Holbrook that provides short-term rehabilitation or long-term continuous care. However Lifecare residents are always guaranteed a bed in the 40 bed, private room facility. Presently, there are 330 residents living in various units within the facility..