Cobblestone Pet Therapy

We have new and exciting additions to our pet therapy program at Cobblestone.  We have two new pets from the Therapy Dogs International Program that have joined us this month as another perk of our Atlanta continuing care retirement community.

Karen Ann Thornton pet therapist and her dog Amanda, a beautiful German shepherd will be visiting here weekly on Julia’s Suites, Pebble brook, and The Bridges.

Roberta “Bobbie” Traick pet therapist and her dog Scarlett, a Shetland sheepdog will be here each Thursday afternoon on Julia’s Suites.

From one of our local hospice companies we have Celia Moore pet therapist and her umbrella cockatoo Sheena that visits each unit on a monthly basis. Sheena does a lot of 1 on 1 in room visits with our members. Sheena loves lively music and loves to dance and show off for our members. She has a special attraction to our male members. Please come over and enjoy seeing our pet therapist in action at any of these times.

Park Springs’ Vintage Home Plan (VHP) can help you sell your house.

Brian Thomas

Brian is responsible for introducing the VHP process to prospects and helping them implement it.  He hires real estate agents, appraisers and other professionals as needed.  “I do as much or as little as the Member wants me to do.”

“The idea is to arm us and the Member with information we can use to defend the listing price, defend low-ball offers and defend us from potential reappraisal when the home goes under contract.”

VHP services include obtaining prices for repairs identified during the inspection process and helping the Member decide which to pursue.  For repairs that will be done, Brian even helps negotiate the price.  He gets regular updates from the real estate agent and, in general, holds all professionals to a high level of accountability.

 

Maricita Hughes

“Our goal is to help new Members identify and pack the items that they are going to use at Park Springs, and not everything else,” says Maricita with a smile.  The process is done with stickers and is part of a package of services that includes packing, moving and unpacking Members’ belongings.

Many Members lack the physical stamina to pack and unpack, and family members are often in another city or too busy to assist.

Park Springs contracts with a moving firm that specializes in assisting seniors in their Atlanta senior homes.   Their care and concern for Members’ possessions is obvious in how they approach each move.

“Members routinely tell me how valuable it was to have help,” says Maricita.  “They say, ‘I had no idea how important it was, but now I understand.’  By the second night they’re completely moved in, with no boxes in sight and everything in the proper drawer and closet.”

Tina Tyler

Tina says the consensus among the experts is that the market will likely slow down in the first quarter of 2012 and may pick up after that.  “But it continues to be very slow – with 2012 expected to be fairly flat.”  The same holds true in metroAtlanta.

Tina, Relocation Director for Coldwell Banker Atlanta Residential Brokerage, has partnered with Park Springs in a number of ways over the years.  As part of the Vintage Home Program (VHP) team she prepares a market analysis to give Members an understanding of the value of their home.  She helps price the home, offers guidance on improvements and even recommends vendors.

In her presentation she’ll touch briefly on economic forecasts, introduce the audience to tools that help real estate agents get market data and teach them to see a home from the buyer’s perspective.

 

Concerned about selling a home in a soft market? Park Springs can help.

DeKalb County residents Barbara and Don Howell had heard a good bit about Park Springs over the years.  But the idea of leaving their home of more than three decades just wasn’t of interest.

“That changed when my wife developed some health problems,” recalls Don.  “Our family was concerned.”  The Howells’ children proposed a move to Park Springs.  “We resisted a little but we visited and found out it’s one of the nicest communities around.”

The decision to move wasn’t the only obstacle the Howells faced.  Selling their Smoke Rise home in a soft real estate market proved to be quite a challenge.

Park Springs stepped in with the Vintage Home Program (VHP) that lets Members move even before their homes have sold.

The Howells moved to Park Springs Atlanta senior housing in late 2010 and the timing couldn’t have been better.  Barbara took a fall and needed several weeks of rehab and recovery, which she was able to do at Cobblestone, Park Springs’ onsite health center.

Meanwhile, the VHP team worked with the Howells to price their home, choose a real estate agent and recommend changes – like painting and replacing old carpet – that would lead to a sale.

“The entire experience has been super pleasant.  Brian Thomas and Maricita Hughes did an excellent job for us.  We couldn’t have done it without their help,” Don adds.  The Howells’ home is currently under contract.   Barbara is back on her feet and the couple is enjoying the activities, dining and peace of mind that are all part of life at Park Springs.

What is you Diet asking for?

Jim Schneeberger; Food & Beverage Director

In any area of Food Service the people in charge need to attempt to listen to their Public and hear what they are asking for.  The great thing about Park Springs is Members have the great opportunity to interact with Management and have things adjusted to meet the current requests.  These adjustments generally go towards Members diets; what medications they are on, what weight they are trying to lose, allergies as they can change at any time and when a Member is just trying to watch what they eat to help maintain good health.  These are all things to be aware of when planning a menu.  This happens for me in the work place and at home where not everybody likes the same things and kids are always a challenge to get to eat healthy.

All menus are designed to allow for specific diners to eat the way they need to eat, this is the way we set the menus at Park Springs.  So from this article please let me know what you are looking for in a menu we can answer the question of what is your diet asking for?  We can make just about any menu work for you.

December Theater Event “Another Opening, Another Show”

Our premiere retirement community, Park Springs, is proud to say that our December theatrical event, “Another Opening, Another Show” was a huge success. The Marvin Himmel production was performed December 8, 9, and 10. Curtain went up at 7:45pm all 3 nights. Please click here to view more pictures from this event.

Avis F. with cast

Joan n M & Nancy B as Raggedy Ann & Andy

Becky M & Shirley perform a scene from Chicago


Park Springs Guest Suites: Not Your Average Atlanta Senior Homes

Raymond Previto Environmental Services Director

At Park Springs, an Atlanta area retirement community, we take pride in making our Members feel as if they are on a permanent vacation. From the abundance of activities going on everyday to our on-site fine dining services, we try to carry that feeling throughout all aspect of our community.

And we expect our Member’s guests to enjoy that same relaxed feeling when they come to visit.

We have seven Guest Suites on-site to accommodate our Members’ visiting friends and family. Three are located in one of our Villa buildings that are attached to our Clubhouse. Two of our other Villa buildings house the other four Guest Suites.

Each Guest Suite has a microwave and refrigerator in the foyer area, which also has a stocked wall and base cabinet counter with coffee pot, coffee, tea and condiment packs. We stock the restroom and tub/shower area with bath and hand towels, wash cloths, shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash and liquid soap.

The Guest Suites at Park Springs as unlike any other Atlanta senior homes. We prepare each Guest Suite like a stay in a fine hotel.

Each Guest Suite has a sitting area and bedroom. The bedrooms have an alarm clock radio, two bedside tables with a phone. Each room has an armoire with a flat screen TV.

Each Guest Suite has individual room controlled air and heat.

In the other four Guest Suites we have the same amenities but with a sink in the efficiency kitchen. All seven Guest Suites are wired for internet access.

The Environmental Services department reserves these suites and keeps them cleaned and organized for our members and their guests.

We want our Members guests to enjoy there visits in comfort and feel like they have taken a mini vacation during their time at Park Springs.

Rotary Club of Stone Mountain to Salute Park Springs Veterans May 25

What an honor it is to have the Rotary Club of Stone Mountain to come to our Atlanta active adult community to salute our Members that are veterans, and honor those who have passed. The salute will happen on the Tuesday before Memorial Day. The keynote speaker during the salute will be Lee S. Harford, Jr., PhD, an Army Reserve Historian. He has written many articles and given numerous speeches to veterans during his career.

This is the third year that the Stone Mountain Rotary Club has come to our Atlanta continuing care retirement community to pay tribute our veterans for this event. The Members and staff at our Atlanta senior homes are excited about the turnout, since last year’s was so great. We look forward to the event and are very thankful to share this opportunity between the Stone Mountain Rotary Club and us here at Park Springs.

Park Springs Welcomes the Atlanta Falcons

Members of the Atlanta Falcons visit continuing care retirement community in Stone Mountain
 
Falcons at Park SpringsPark Springs, the Southeast’s premier Atlanta senior living community, rolled out the red carpet for seven members of the Atlanta Falcons and two cheerleaders on Tuesday, October 6. The Falcons players, which included Jerious Nerwood, Jonathan Babineaux, Thomas DeCoud, Brian Finneran, Verron Haynes, Coy Wire and Kroy Biermann joined our Members in some competitive games of Wii Bowling and sports trivia.

A few players also joined Members for some light exercise at Cobblestone, Park Springs’ health care center before hitting Park Springs’ Petanque court for a quick lesson on the game that originated in the southern France. The Falcons were on location as part of their “Hometown Huddle” program that disperses members of the team to locations throughout the metro Atlanta area.

“Any time you can give back it also brightens my day,” said Babineaux. “The guys are good with community service and we really enjoy what we do. Added Verron Haynes, “This is important…giving back is important. “Putting smiles on people’s faces is what it is all about.”

The players arrived at our Atlanta senior homes at 10 a.m. and stayed until shortly after 11:30 a.m. signing autographs until every Member had a chance to speak with each player. Many Park Springs Members enjoyed meeting the players as well as getting autographs and pictures for themselves and their grandchildren.

“I am really here representing my grandchildren,” said Fred Jerding. “My grandkids have been asking me the last couple of days if I met the Falcons yet. They will be happy to know that I met them today.”

In addition to Park Springs, Falcons players also visited Long Middle School, H.M. Turner Middle School, Sandy Springs Middle School and Brown Middle School, all with Atlanta addresses, a Publix super market, a Home Depot location in Decatur and the Georgia Aquarium. The Falcons are the only NFL team that involves all 53 players on its roster in such a day.