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JORDAN PYSZ / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Tootie and Dick say they are comfortable since moving to The Meridian of Brandon. Living there has given them and their children peace of mind.
When they were in high school together, Tootie the cheerleader wanted nothing to do with Dick the center on the football team. Tootie was more than happy to cheer Dick on from the sidelines, but as far dating him went, she wasn’t the least bit interested.
That changed a few years later.
After four years in the Navy, where he served as a flight director aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, Dick came home a different man in the eyes of Tootie.
“The Navy made him a good guy,” Tootie says with a chuckle.
Dick sees it differently. He says Tootie made him a good guy.
Either way, Dick and Tootie Stokes, who grew up on the same street in suburban Detroit, began dating, got married and will soon mark their 68th anniversary.
The couple will celebrate that special occasion with their three children, who recently encouraged Tootie, 87, and Dick, 90, to take a load off their plates by moving out of their condominium in Dover and into a senior living community.
“The kids decided that because we were getting older and might need some help, we should move,” Tootie shares. “At first, I dug my heels in because I didn’t want to move. But then I saw the place my daughter picked for us. That changed everything.”
Exceptional Experiences
That place is The Meridian at Brandon, a supportive independent living, assisted living and memory care community that the couple found so appealing that they moved in shortly after their first visit.
“When we first came here, I thought, What a great place,” Tootie enthuses. “I thought, This place is wonderful, because you have all the amenities, including three meals a day, which meant no more cooking for me, so I was very impressed.
“We moved into a two-bedroom apartment that is absolutely beautiful. We’ve decorated it beautifully, and all the people here are very gracious, very generous and very helpful. They’ll do anything for you, so we are very happy here.”
Happy because the owners and operators of The Meridian at Brandon strive to help residents live better by offering care and services that strengthen minds and bodies, decrease falls, improve moods and increase engagement in social activities.
“We offer seniors every opportunity possible to get healthier, socialize, celebrate and make new friends,” says Ashley Hochadel, executive director of The Meridian at Brandon, which is open to residents of varied physical abilities.
-Ashley Hochadel
“We want to provide exceptional experiences for our residents and fill their days with fun and meaningful interactions within their homes as well as the greater community outside, where we offer many opportunities to get involved and be active.”
To do this, The Meridian team weaves wellness through day-to-day experiences, from activities to dining to care to the social scene. As part of that effort, the team has partnered with a physical therapy company that provides residents with access to a full-time exercise physiologist.
The community also has a state-of-the-art gym that was designed with residents in mind. It features high-tech equipment such as a digital weight machine, a mirror smart gym, a Biodex Balance System™ and a NuStep® recumbent cross-trainer.
The Meridian at Brandon also offers residents an opportunity to participate in an exclusive exercise program called #Roadto150 that helps seniors set goals around reaching at least 150 minutes of exercise per week.
“Studies show that increasing activity to 150 minutes per week can decrease the risk of falls and the onset of diseases that may result in injury,” Ashley explains. “We want 150 minutes of exercise to be a lamppost to guide our programming.”
Corporate owner Meridian Senior Living has also partnered with nationally known chiropractor Edythe Heus, DC, and her Revolution in Motion training system to roll out a senior-specific health and fitness program called Vitality.
Grounded in kinesiology, Vitality can help residents improve balance and mobility, decrease fall risk, focus the mind, increase energy, and improve sleep, all while seated in a chair on a balance pad.
“This is a safe program that has turned back the clock for many of our residents as they feel much younger, with improved memory, coordination and balance,” says Sue Johnston, Meridian Senior Living’s vice president of programming.
The Meridian at Brandon also offers yoga, tai chi and morning stretching classes as well as a walking club. The community’s exercise physiologist can also create customized fitness plans and in-house physical and occupational therapies specific to those with Parkinson’s disease and dementia.
True wellness goes beyond the gym, however, so regardless of a resident’s level of independence, The Meridian at Brandon provides an array of daily activities designed to stimulate the mind, bring purpose, and capture passions and interests.
Those activities include arts and crafts, history courses, religious services, Bible studies, music programs, happy hours and movie nights in the community theater. The Meridian also offers a speaker series and transportation to local shows, shopping, museums and more.
Dick and Tootie live a supportive independent lifestyle, but for seniors with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, the community offers Montessori Moments in Time™, which enhances lives through its guided “Five Directional Paths.”
“Beginning with each ‘Resident Life Story,’ we build our programming on their habits, their personal preferences, their past and present interests, and what brings them joy,” Ashley explains.
The Family Connections path helps strengthen the partnership with adult children or other family members as they come to terms with their loved one’s diagnosis. Support groups, resources and education provide opportunities to learn more about the disease, ways to communicate and tools to cope.
JORDAN PYSZ / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Dick and Tootie Stokes
“It’s Wonderful”
Along with staying mentally and physically active, healthy eating is an integral part of wellness. The Meridian achieves that objective by providing residents with a well-balanced diet through chef-prepared specialty menus and classic offerings.
The community features a private dining room, a grab-and-go bistro, a large restaurant-style dining room, a pre-dining lounge, even a bar. The culinary staff prepares three meals per day, which are included in the monthly rent.
“One of things we like best about living here is they always have an extra menu on the table so that if you’re not fond of what is on the main menu or you can’t eat shellfish or something like that, you can get whatever you want,” Tootie says.
“It’s a beautiful place to live,” Dick adds. “Everything you need is right here, so it’s perfect. The only thing we need to leave for is to get to an appointment or something, and if you need it, the transportation staff here is happy to give you a ride to wherever you want to go.”
Though hesitant at first to leave her condo, Tootie says that moving to The Meridian was the right call. It has given her, Dick and their children peace of mind.
“They’re comfortable, and we’re comfortable,” Tootie says. “They know that if something were to happen to us, we would be very well taken care of here, and we would have help immediately. We are very thankful for that.
“That’s why I would encourage anyone who’s thinking of moving here to not hesitate for a moment. In fact, if I see someone who’s looking around here having lunch, I’ll often stop by their table and say, Are you thinking about moving here? And if they say, Well, we’re considering it, I’ll say, You would not be making the wrong move. It’s wonderful.”
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