Aging In Place Works for the Buck Family
..........................................................................................................................................................
By John Lynch
It’s another beautiful day in the neighborhood, as they say at Wesley Village Retirement Community in Wilmore.
And they’re not talking about the unseasonably warm December afternoon.
The “neighborhood” is the memory care area on the second floor of Hahn Manor, part of the main residence hall on Wesley Village’s 32-acre campus.
The memory care neighborhood has served residents with cognitive issues for 10 years.
The neighborhood is currently home to 14 residents who live in studio apartments and share a common area that features one of five Christmas trees on display at Wesley Village.
The halls are carpeted and inviting. And the ceiling light panels are decorated with white fluffy clouds and blue skies.
Which is very comforting to Scott Buck, a 44-year-old chaplain with St. Joseph Health System.
Scott and his wife Pam live in Lexington and are the legal guardians of 15-year-old Amisha and 12-year-old JJ.
Buck’s 75-year-old father Mel lives in the memory care neighborhood, having moved to Wesley Village four years ago with his wife, and Scott’s mother Donna.
Scott Buck has seen first-hand the value of Wesley Village’s main calling card – the ability for residents to age in place.
“My parents’ story fits Wesley Village perfectly,” Scott Buck said. “As their health worsened and their needs increased, they moved up in level of care.”
When Mel and Donna Buck first arrived at Wesley Village, they moved into one of 77 patio homes on the property.
While the couple lived independently, Donna cared for Mel, who was dealing with cognitive issues.
When Donna grew ill from Parkinson’s disease, the couple moved across the street into a one-bedroom apartment in Hagar Manor, which includes personal care services.
A nurse is available 24/7, and health-care providers can administer medications.
In the months before Donna passed away in August 2008, she moved upstairs to the memory care neighborhood. Buck visited every day.
Soon after Donna passed, Mel moved upstairs to the neighborhood.
“The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, warm and comfortable,” Scott Buck said. “It feels like home as much as possible.
“ And every time you step out of a loved-one’s apartment, an aid or worker is in sight.”
That’s because Wesley Village has 100 employees for 145 residents, nearly a one-to-one ratio.
The Buck family story is a familiar one at Wesley Village and epitomizes a community that offers the full continuum of care – a particularly valuable attribute to those dealing with memory issues.
Forcing adults with cognitive issues to move to a new environment is traumatic, according to Sherre Hall, a registered nurse and Wesley Village’s Director of Health Systems.
“When they are moved, it takes them weeks to adjust to the new surroundings and new people,” she said. “At Wesley Village, having all the levels of care on the same campus keeps the family dynamic together.”
And Wesley Village can provide this service on a workingman’s salary.
Mel Buck was a maintenance electrician in Oregon before moving to Indianapolis where he and wife worked for a mission organization.
“When I first visited Wesley Village, I thought there was no way my parents could afford living there,” Scott Buck said.
“I mean, they were missionaries. But when I went over the numbers with Doris Victor (the marketing director at Wesley Village), I was pleasantly surprised by the price.
“This has been the best-case scenario for us, the best possible care they could get. I visit my dad about two, three times a week, but I don’t worry about him when I’m not there.
“I know he’s in good hands.”
Scott Buck 539-3349
bucksp@sjhlex.org