“It means a lot to be able to see all the hands and hearts that have been working to make this vision a reality,” said Executive Director Christina Spence as she introduced the project team, a collaborative effort including residents, staff, and specialists.

San Francisco Towers resident Richard “Dick” Wilmington reflected on “nearly a decade” working towards a memory care neighborhood. “The long history reflects the struggle with both state and local regulations, and with the restrictive realities of dealing with the conversion of a fully utilized existing space,” he explained. Wilmington’s spouse, Bob, struggled with aphasia and memory loss and ultimately spent his final year at a different community with a dedicated program for those with cognitive impairments that helped his spouse “avoid those three terrible ‘A’s’ often suffered by those with these conditions: anxiety, agitation, and anger.”

San Francisco Towers Memory Care Unit will be located on the second level of the building in the East Tower Mezzanine. With 10 single units and two double units, the neighborhood will include a common area with dining, sun room, study, and tub/spa center. Construction is expected to be completed by spring of 2022 and the neighborhood will be open after review and approval by California’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). OSHPD has already approved the plans for this neighborhood as well as the memory care neighborhood at other Covia communities.

“I think back to our very first memory care neighborhood at Los Gatos Meadows,” said Katharine Miller, Executive Director of the Covia Foundation. “It is called Maggie’s Place because a long term resident at Los Gatos really, really cared about the fact that she had neighbors and friends that needed a memory care neighborhood. When Maggie King passed away, she left her entire estate to the Foundation to build out our very first memory care neighborhood. I wanted to say thank you to all the people that have cared about their loved ones, their neighbors and their friends to make our memory care neighborhoods happen.”

“It’s been a long time to get here,” said Christina Spence, “so we wanted to take a moment and celebrate the good, celebrate that we’re here in this moment. This project would never be moving forward if it weren’t for all the support that we’ve received from our partners.”

As the Reverend Wilmington concluded, “So here we are. Now we have begun…we can make this a peaceful and comfortable community in honor of those lost personalities we loved.”

If you would like to learn more about San Francisco Towers please call 415.447.5527 or use the contact us form here.

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Too often, people start looking for senior living options after a need arises, leaving them scrambling for the first available option, even if it isn’t what they truly want. You may be thinking that a move to a Life Plan Community is something that will happen 2, 3, 5 or more years down the line. It’s still worth taking steps now so that when the time comes, you’ll get what you want.

Of course visiting in person is an important part of the process. Each community has a different personality. Getting to know a community, asking your questions, and meeting other residents makes it more likely you will choose a place that feels like home.

But if you’ve come to the event, taken the tour, and still think it’s not the right time to move, joining the community’s waiting list gives you the chance to consider the pros and cons while reserving your place for the residence you want.

“A waiting list is a terrific opportunity to secure your future plans without a large commitment of time or money,” says Linda McMenamin, Covia’s Senior Director of Sales and Marketing. “Often people will join wait lists at multiple communities to ensure they have options in the event their needs change and they are ready to make a move.”

Joining a waiting list at the community – or communities – of your choice has other benefits as well.

• Reduce anxiety: “Most people benefit from being on a list because the opportunity to move often coincides with changes in health, lifestyle or living situation,” McMenamin notes. You no longer need to worry whether you have a place in line when you are ready to move. With most of the preliminary paperwork completed, you know you’re pre-approved.
• Take your time: “Being on the waiting list allows you the freedom to explore your options at your own pace, without time constraints or pressure to make a decision,” says McMenamin. You can use the time you are on the waiting list to think through what’s important to you and to put other parts of your plan in place.
• Build connections: As a waiting list member you will be invited to special events, allowing you to get to know a community even better. “Often times wait list members can join the fitness center, attend activities and join residents and future neighbors for meals,” McMenamin observes. When you do move in, it will be a much more familiar place that’s a lot easier to call home.
• Priority access: When an apartment opens up that matches your preference, we’ll call to let you know. Our waiting list applicants receive priority for any new inventory. “Having that plan in place gives you the flexibility to say yes when you are ready to make a move,” says McMenamin.
• No obligation: Just because you’re on the waiting list doesn’t mean you are required to move in. “There’s no risk and the financial cost is usually very minimal,” says McMenamin. If you decide a community isn’t for you, your fee is fully refundable.

If you do decide to put down a deposit, be sure to ask how long the waiting list is for the home style you’d like, and what the expected waiting time is. Many times, larger homes have longer waiting lists, which may affect your plans. Talk with your senior living counselor about your plans and timeline and they will do their best to accommodate you.

Some communities may have a limit on the number of times you can turn down an apartment offered to you without losing your place on the waiting list. Although you are not obligated to accept a home presented to you, this may mean that eventually you won’t be the first person called.

But when you do get the call for the home you want, at the time you want it, you can feel comfort and confidence knowing the plan you’ve put in place is working as you hoped.

For more information, please fill out the form below. 

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Currently serving as Professor of Social Welfare and Public Policy at UCLA, Director of the UCLA Center for Policy Research on Aging, and an Adjunct Professor of Gerontology at USC, Dr. Torres-Gil was born and raised in Salinas, the son of migrant farm workers and one of nine children. After contracting polio at the age of 6 months, he spent much of his childhood in and out of hospitals. In an interview with the American Society on Aging, Torres-Gil reports, “I credit this experience with my educational success; I would return after long absences from mainstream K–12 schooling and I was always ahead of my fellow students because of receiving home-schooling, personalized attention and mentoring. My mother fought the school district to keep me with the ‘normal’ kids, saying, ‘There is nothing wrong with his mind, only his legs.’”

Dr. Torres-Gil has a distinguished background in public service. He advised three separate presidential administrations on the topics of aging and disability and he currently co-chairs the National Academy of Science’s Forum on Aging, Disability and Independence. In 2013, he received the John W. Gardner Legacy of Leadership Award from the White House Fellows Foundation and Association.

“I remember when I first looked him up before taking him on a tour of the community, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh! Can I just be myself when I meet him?’” says Jody O’Connell, Director of Sales and Marketing for Canterbury Woods. But when she met him, “He is so laid back and so engaging. What he’s about is just amazing, but as a person, he’s just one of us.”

“He is passionate about the fourth quarter in life,” says O’Connell. For his presentation, Dr. Torres-Gil will discuss smart aging, current trends, retirement options, and supportive systems. Those who attend will have the opportunity to learn about developing a longevity plan and more.

O’Connell is thrilled with the partnership Canterbury Woods is developing with Torres-Gil. “He loves that we’re a non-profit and our whole purpose,” she says. She hopes this event will demonstrate how living in a community like Canterbury Woods can be part of a successful longevity plan. “Medicine is something, but quality of life and how to live your fourth quarter – this is it. People are doing it right here.”

Space for the event is extremely limited. Please contact Jody O’Connell to reserve your spot at 831-657-4224 or jo’connell@covia.org.

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