A Retirement Resources Blog for Seniors and Retirees – HOME

Move Day - Herman and Marcella Wright watch their belongings loaded into moving van supervised by SASH client service managers

Herman and Marcella Wright, a couple of young and spritely seniors were all packed up and ready to move Friday July 16th to their new apartment at Wesley Homes Lea Hill. 

The Wrights have some interesting stories to tell about living through three different economic turndowns; they moved several times as a result of their careers as Boeing employees.     

The process of selling homes, even during a recession, is not new to them.  They’ve weathered the storms and the challenges of multiple relocations philosophically – and it’s made them very adaptable.   You get the feeling they have “broad shoulders”. 

So when they got a call from Wesley Homes that the floor plan they wanted was available, they accepted the opportunity and made the move within 60 days. 

“We had anticipated making this move a couple of years down the road,”  said Marcella, “ but we’ve both said we’re glad we made the move now. “ Read the rest of this entry »

Campus Administrator, Scott Hulet, proudly displays Results of The Arbor's compliance survey

On June 2^nd Wesley Homes Arbor “passed with flying colors” the annual licensing and compliance survey conducted by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). 

The unannounced survey is conducted yearly and for the third year in a row The Arbor received the highest results – that of zero deficiencies in the resident environment and services provided by Wesley Homes Lea Hill and their talented staff.  Read the rest of this entry »

As June 18, 2010, Wesley Homes is on record as the owner of a piece of property in Puyallup, WA. Preliminary plans are to construct a new campus, similar to Wesley Homes Lea Hill in Auburn, consisting of approximately 80 residential apartments, 48 housing with services apartments, 16 memory care apartments, 52 brownstone apartments and a future care center with 30 accommodations for those needing skilled nursing.

“Now the fun begins,” said Kevin Anderson, President/CEO for Wesley Homes. “We have a lot of work to do with our architect, development agent and the city of Puyallup to make sure the numbers make sense. We expect to begin preliminary marketing within the next six months.”

Puyallup will be Wesley Home’s third campus offering retirement housing and care for older adults. “We strive to serve retirees from moderate income professions such as school teachers, clergy, small businesspeople and firefighters/police officers,” said Anderson. “To make housing affordable, we count on private donations and  business partners that share our vision.”

To receive information about the new Wesley Homes in Puyallup, please contact Christine Tremain at ctremain@wesleyhomes.org or 206-870-1104.

Lisa Meinecke joined Wesley Homes as the new Resident Services Director on May 18, 2010. She brings with her 18 years experience as a Director of Social Services in the continuing care retirement industry.  Meinecke grew up in West Seattle and lives with her husband and two children in Fife Heights.

When she interviewed for the position she was truly amazed by the residents and the vibrant community.  “When you walk through Wesley Homes and see them filming, or participating in social activities – and even the resident council – they’re alive and full of energy and that’s what I was looking for,” she said. Read the rest of this entry »

Standing: Andy Herron, Bob Witman, Bill Humphries, Mal Bailey, Bill Nelson, Gordie Hefford, Ed Miller, Harry Keiffer. Kneeling: Will Gerring, Doc Huff, Dr. Ralph Reed, Ken Hoben

Wesley Homes veterans were honored on June 3, 2010 at the Second Annual GRCC Veteran Coin Ceremony at Green River College. 

The ceremony was presided over by Deb Casey for Veterans Council Recognition and included presentations by faculty members and veterans Carsh Wilturner, Marianne Jacobs, and honored speaker and veteran Pete Lewis, Mayor of Auburn.

Each resident was presented with a “challenge coin” in the tradition of the highly coveted military coins worn by military personnel to signify pride, honor, achievement, unity and espirt de corps.  Read the rest of this entry »

Chef Neff teaches how to pick a tomato for taste, not looks.

Make changes in your diet to bolster your health.  You’ll feel better, have more energy and be able to maintain your active lifestyle.  That was the advice of Chef Cary Neff, as he entertained a full auditorium of Wesley Homes residents and guests invited to “Flavors 450”, a live cooking and tasting event May 27, in Des Moines, WA. 

You can re-train yourself – how to look for food, how to shop, how to store, and how to cook healthier, OR . . . you can go ahead and make the move to Wesley Homes, Des Moines Campus and be well ahead of the game.  Read the rest of this entry »

Holding copies of books to be signed, fans of Dee Molenaar enjoy his 5/6/10 presentation at Wesley Homes Lea Hill.

Residents and guests of Wesley Homes Lea Hill were treated to an autobiographical presentation by legendary mountaineer Dee Molenaar whose story proved to be as compelling as it was historically accurate.

A thorough narration on the origin of Mount Rainier was intermingled with stories of the mountain men who made it their home.  “It’s my favorite mountain”, said Molenaar, “and to mountaineers the best mountain in the States to test your gear for the Himalayans.” Read the rest of this entry »

Wesley Homes is excited to announce that we are scheduled to finalize the purchase of property in Puyallup, WA this week for our next retirement campus. Preliminary planning is underway to establish the number and mix of different accommodations, determine feasibility and obtain city approvals.

Once the sale is closed, we will announce the exact location. Our preliminary timeline calls us to begin pre-marketing and accept reservation deposits in approximately 6 months.

If you would like to receive more information as it is available, please contact Christine Tremain, VP Marketing at 206-870-1104 or ctremain@wesleyhomes.org. Thank you for visiting the Wesley Homes blog!

At the home of legendary mountainer Dee Molenaar with the mural he painted of Mt. Rainier

If you’re from the Northwest, you’ve got a connection with Mount Rainier.  Everyone has a story about Mount Rainier- and no one more than the Northwest’s own legendary mountaineer Dee Molenaar.

On May 6^th at Wesley Homes Lea Hill Campus in Auburn, Molenaar will share his life experiences as a mountain climber celebrated the world over for his “Brotherhood of the Rope” feats talked about even today in climbing circles. Read the rest of this entry »