“We did our research. Lions Gate has the best programming of any senior living community. Our daughter said, “I’ll never have to worry about you now.” That sealed the deal.”
Bernie and Marcia Shapiro are both lifelong educators — she taught English, and he taught history. They know the benefits of research to fully understand a topic. “When we made the decision that we wanted to downsize, we didn’t just hop in the car and start touring senior living communities,” said Marcia. “We did our research first. It quickly became clear to me what our top two priorities were: First, it had to be a LifePlan community so all our health needs would be taken care of as we age. And second, the community had to have the most extensive programming possible so that we would always have things to do. To be frank, Lions Gate has the best programming of all the senior living communities in South Jersey. We never had to look any place else.”
“There is no way anyone could be bored living at Lions Gate,” said Bernie. “I go to the pool three times a week. I play bridge. I go to all the history classes. Sometimes we’ll grab pizza in the Bistro for lunch. We eat dinner in the dining room with friends every night. My days are full here.”
“It was important to me that there be programming not just during the day,” said Marcia, “but also in the evenings and on weekends. I like that there are still things to do after dinner. Lions Gate is a very social community.”
Bernie and Marcia make the most of the support services provided by Lions Gate. “Dr. Overbrook is a Gerontologist at the Wellness Center,” said Bernie, “and he’s our primary doctor now. We don’t belong to a synagogue outside of Lions Gate anymore. We attend high holiday services here. It’s easy living. No more worries.”
“We don’t have to be out and about,” said Marcia. “Everything we need is right here. We have all the services we need, and all the fun of living with a family of friends.”
“When we told our son and daughter that we were moving to Lions Gate, our daughter said THANK YOU!” said Bernie. “They knew we were young enough to take advantage of all of the amenities now, and that the community would take care of us as we got older. Our children were very relieved to not have to worry about our future.”
“And we’re not worried about the future of Lions Gate,” said Marcia. “We have been so impressed with the CEO, Dave Thompson. He’s always available and approachable. Great communicator. Strong leader. When it was announced that he was appointed CEO, all of the residents gave a standing ovation.”
“I will never second guess the decision we made to move to Lions Gate,” said Bernie. “From everything we see, we’re convinced it’s the best place for us.”