“We’re one big family sharing the same space, respectfully and without judgment. Here, age doesn’t exist; we don’t see wrinkles or differences for that matter!”
对一些老年人来说，搬到养老院是一个挑战——这是可以理解的。对未知的恐惧是常见的，但这重要的一步也可能充满奇妙的惊喜。Chartwell Cité-Jardin居民Ella Danis就是这样。
In the early 2000s, Ella worked as a hostess at Banco Bistro, a restaurant in the Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau. One day, a lively group of people appeared, and all seemed so happy and full of life that Ella couldn’t help but ask where they were from. To her surprise, they said they lived atChartwell Cité-Jardin Retirement Residence，位于赌场附近。Ella相信这次偶遇是命中注定的，因为她最终在7年后搬到了退休社区!
Of course, this encounter alone wasn’t what motivated her decide to move into a retirement residence. Ella retired at the age of 68 and—at the time—was divorced and had been living on her own for several years. Even though her three children were there to support her, she decided she did not want to become a “burden” to her family.
Ella had previously been a caregiver for family members and knew that it was a big responsibility that often involved making tough decisions. Therefore, she preferred life in a retirement residence where she could still enjoy her independence, but have the support of staff when she needed it—also allowing her to spend quality time with her children that didn’t involve caregiving tasks.
After shopping around for senior living residences, Ella sold her home and moved into Chartwell Cité-Jardin. When she arrived, the warm welcome she received reminded her of the positive energy she had felt when meeting the resident group at the casino on that special night. Her fear of the unknown quickly vanished, and at that moment, Ella knew that she had made the right choice.
Ella解释说，整个员工团队——从经理到志愿者——总是乐于助人，不管她的要求是否紧急。定期组织的活动也提供了各种可选的方式来享受一天，保持健康或探索当地社区。对艾拉来说，Chartwell Cité-Jardin意味着放松和度假，她甚至称这所住宅为“一年的地中海俱乐部”!她的新家让她可以继续尽情享受生活，而不必担心日常的琐事。
“There’s never a dull moment here! Thanks to all the services Chartwell provides, I have fewer obligations; I keep my independence, and most importantly, I have lots of fun. Total freedom,” she tells.
It’s been seven months since Ella moved to Chartwell Cité-Jardin, and her life has changed in many ways. She is proud to say that her entire experience has been positive and she continues to discover new things every day.