Rittenhouse Village At Northside 55+ Community Testimonials

When Katie Fox does something, she tends to do it big.

Family? Check
Holidays? Check
Trips to kick her heels up on a random Thursday in March? Double Check.

A lifetime resident of Indiana, she now calls Rittenhouse Village at Northside in Indianapolis home. She and her husband moved to the facility two years ago of their own free will and haven’t looked back since. “We needed a little bit of extra care, specifically my husband,” Fox says. “I couldn’t give him the care he needed, so when he started coming here for rehab, I decided I would come as well. It was a very easy adjustment. We have lots of family and lots of friends around here. At this point, we wouldn’t go back home to independent living for anything.”

It’s a refreshing take on what is often an emotionally charged argument between generations. Senior citizens find themselves alone after the death of a spouse or needing extra care after a fall or a stroke. Oftentimes they are fierce in keeping their independence while children tend to exercise caution so that serious or fatal accidents don’t occur when their parents are largely alone throughout the day.

Fox grew up in Indianapolis, the daughter of a preacher and graduated from Indiana University an hour south of her hometown. She went to work as the secretary to the president of a mortgage company in downtown Indianapolis before “retiring” when she met her husband. “My cousin introduced us, and we got married, he’s the love of my life,” Fox says. “We had seven children, which was just wonderful, a house full of love, and then seven grandchildren came along. It’s great to have them all together, especially around the holidays.”

Fox’s husband was a travelling salesman during his working days, moving products for Dubois Chemical’s W.R. Grace division. Despite often being outnumbered 7-to-1 by her kids, Fox said raising them was easy because they were well-tempered and respectful. Fox says even with all the kids long gone and she and her husband happily retired, life hasn’t slowed down one bit. “We have bingo every afternoon and there are activities all the time, there’s never a dull moment,” she says. “I find when I’m out walking the halls, there’s always someone to talk to or something to do. They never let us rest. We go on a lot of trips as well.”

The day of the interview was a particularly exciting for Fox as her daughter had just been by to bring her an envelope full of cold, hard cash. “We’re going to Anderson tomorrow,” with a smile on her face. If you don’t know Indiana, then it’s time to meet Hoosier Park, a “Racino” that combines two horse tracks with a casino about an hour away from Rittenhouse Village. And it’s no game room at the corner market, but a 92,000-square foot gaming floor with slot machines, video poker, and e-table games, not to mention the horses outside. “Day and night, we take trips from here, but the casino is my favorite,” Fox says. “I usually don’t come home with as much money as I went there with, but it’s all for fun. It’s always something to look forward to.”

Lois Gibson – From Generation to Generation

Want to know a surefire way to prove that your 5-year-old grandson is being raised right? Lois Gibson can tell you. She was in California, visiting one of her five children and helping babysit her grandchildren when she got the call that her husband of 63 years had passed away. Her husband had been in a caregiver facility back home in Indiana and been put to bed the night before, and passed away in his sleep.

“My little grandson came in when I got the news, and I told him, ‘Honey, Grandaddy Gibson just died,’ she recalls. “He looked right at me and say, ‘Oh Grandma, he’s gone on to a better place.” Gibson tears up when she recalls the story.

“I was so happy to have him tell me that because it was true. He’s gone to a place where nothing hurts and he can play golf and tennis every day.” Gibson and her husband are both from Indianapolis and lived there all their lives. Her husband was a self-employed attorney focusing on labor law, and she raised children and worked at the Greenbriar Athletic Club.

For the next eight months after her husband died, Gibson continued living in the couple’s condo, but as she got a bit older herself, her children suggested she look for a place where she could receive help if she needed it, leading her to Rittenhouse Village at Northside.

“Well, you know it was a transition,” She says of the move. “It was time for me to change to that next part of life, and it was very easy. I didn’t think I wanted to do it, but once I did it, it was fine.”

With a wry sense of humor, Gibson has no problem telling anyone what her favorite part of the move has been so far. “Not having to cook. Not having to cook for people, that’s been my favorite thing,” she deadpans. “Also, not having to cook anymore, that has been really great.”

At 93 years old, Gibson is perfectly happy letting someone else be the chef; she’s got more than enough to keep her calendar full between her grandchildren and her daily activities at Rittenhouse Village at Northside. “Everyone here is very pleasant, and most are my age or younger,” she says. “I enjoy the card playing and the bingo and a lot of other activities. There is something new every day.” And much like her young grandson on the day she found out her husband had passed on, the rest of her family is in almost constant contact with Gibson, something that warms her heart on a daily basis.

“All my kids got married and I’ve got 13 grandchildren,” she says. “We all keep in touch, that’s the nice thing about us. I hear from several of them every day, and that makes it even more pleasant. One lives in Shelbyville (about 40 miles southeast of Indianapolis) and the rest are spread out across the country. I visit them whenever I can. If I’m invited.”

Ninety-three years old and still cracking jokes. That’s a milestone we all should endeavor to achieve.

To all staff and residents at Rittenhouse,
I want to thank all of you at Rittenhouse for being so caring, thoughtful and nice to my grandmother and to myself and family. Words can’t express how grateful I am for the exceptional care you have given to Ruth. Rittenhouse was definitely like another home for my grandmother and myself. All of the staff are so hard-working and have such big caring hearts. The residents also have such caring hearts, too. I am grateful and blessed for each and every one at Rittenhouse.

My mother-in-law is there for her second year. She enjoys the other people and they are her friends. The staff are very friendly and treat her well. We are grateful for the peace of mind knowing she is safe, fed, has her medication and is happy.
Karen

The loving care and respect my wife receives from her caregivers at Rittenhouse is a great comfort to our family. It is truly a blessing we found this place when we most needed it.
Bill

This has been great place for our loved one. The staff has been friendly and very helpful. I would recommend Rittenhouse to others.
Carol