More Freedom, Less Worry: Why Seniors Are Choosing Community Living Earlier

Residents of FTJ share how moving to senior living brought them peace of mind, connection, security, and a renewed sense of home.

For many older adults, the idea of moving to a senior living community can feel emotional and overwhelming. Leaving a longtime home often means letting go of years of memories and routines. Yet time and again, residents at Franke Tobey Jones say the same thing after making the move: “We wish we had done it sooner.”

Why? Because senior living today is not about giving up independence — it is about gaining freedom, security, connection, and peace of mind.

Home Maintenance

For many residents, the decision began with practical realities. Maintaining a home, caring for landscaping, coordinating repairs, and preparing for future healthcare needs simply became too much.

Bob and Joan Garden explain it simply: “Taking care of our older home and landscaping required more energy than we had to offer.” They realized that “senior living offering continuing care made sense at our age.” FTJ stood out because it offered “the living accommodation (duplex), location, and amenities we desired,” along with local Tacoma governance and long-term stability.

Carolyn Hunt shared a similar experience. “Although I’ve always preferred to live independently, yard and house maintenance became more difficult as my physical condition deteriorated,” she explained. “Finding people to do what I couldn’t do became harder too.”

By moving before she absolutely needed assistance, Carolyn was able to make a thoughtful and comfortable transition on her own terms. “Moving before I really needed to meant a more leisurely and considered choice,” she said.

Safety and Future Planning

For others, safety and future planning became the motivation.

After a serious health incident, Damian Gennette realized living alone no longer felt like the best option.

“Rather than continue to live in my Tacoma home alone, I moved to FTJ in order to feel safer, with all the support and benefits of community life,” Damian Gennette shared .

Damian toured several communities during his search, including one in Spokane, but said, “All of them were good, but hands down FTJ was my favorite.” Today he describes the campus as “a Garden of Eden, a Tacoma jewel,” praising “the staff and residents, the activities, the beautiful buildings and grounds.”

Future Care

Many residents also speak about the tremendous relief that comes from knowing future care is available if and when it is needed.

Nancy Cook, who retired from Boeing and later worked at the University of Washington Tacoma, knew she needed a long-term plan because she had no nearby family. “I’m an only child and all my relatives have passed away, so I’m alone in the world,” she shared candidly. “Once I learned about Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), I knew that was what I needed.”

Nancy still vividly remembers her first introduction to FTJ. “One day I decided to drive in to see what was inside the front gate,” she recalled. “I drove up to my left and discovered the duplexes. It was love at first sight!!”

She eventually moved to campus in 2014 and says, “I absolutely love it here. I did not look at any other retirement location. No finer place to live than FTJ!!”

Neighborhood and Community

While practical concerns often start the conversation, what truly makes the difference is finding a community that feels like home.

Nancy especially values the people who make the community special. “Staff are amazingly friendly, very competent and compassionate,” she said. Over the years she has become deeply involved in campus life, even serving as Chair of the Resident Council and participating in early planning discussions for the community expansion.

Residents frequently describe FTJ not as an institution, but as a true neighborhood and community.

“I looked at several places and reacted to each one with ‘no, no, I can’t do this’ before I found FTJ,” Carolyn Hunt shared. “Every place else seemed like just an institution, but FTJ felt welcoming, with interesting architecture, generous and varied landscaping, appealing location, and particularly the sympathetic and capable staff.”

She added that one of the greatest comforts is knowing she will not have to move again if her needs change. “It’s reassuring to know that if I need more help as I age, I won’t have to be uprooted.”

For Ann Martin and her husband, John, the transition came after years of maintaining a beloved historic home.

“Even though John wanted to spend the rest of our days enjoying our lovely historic home, I knew the time had come to think differently,” Ann explained. “Our home continued to need upkeep and our ‘doing’ days were fading.”

The couple began exploring senior living options around Tacoma, carefully evaluating both their needs and wishes. FTJ quickly stood out because of its “beautiful setting, ambiance, and nearness to Point Defiance.”

Then Ann walked into one of the duplex cottages.

“When I first walked into a duplex cottage I immediately felt at home and could visualize our furniture and lifestyle fitting right in,” she said. “Both of us agreed on this choice and neither has ever regretted it.”

Connections

For some families, the connection to FTJ spans generations.

Pat Mail first discovered the community when her 101-year-old mother needed skilled nursing care. “A good friend suggested Tobey Jones,” Pat recalled. “They had space and we moved Connie in.”

Pat’s mother lived at FTJ until the age of 104. That experience left a lasting impression.

“I am among the many second-generation residents because FTJ takes care of its people,” Pat said.

Again and again, residents describe the same benefits: freedom from home maintenance, meaningful friendships, enriching activities, compassionate staff, beautiful surroundings, and the reassurance that future care is available if needed.

Most importantly, residents describe something many people do not expect to find in senior living — joy, belonging, security, and a renewed sense of ease in daily life.  As Bob Garden says, “FTJ, after living here a few months, was like being on a cruise ship that not’s moving…and still feels that way!”

At Franke Tobey Jones, residents are not simply moving to a retirement community. They are moving into a welcoming neighborhood, a supportive community, and a place they are proud to call home.

If you are interested in learning more about Franke Tobey Jones, please feel free to reach out to us at 253-752-6621 or go to FrankeTobeyJones.com.