Exceptional Stories of Care: Family Experiences Four Levels of Care at Concordia

Longtime Concordia resident George Boggs and his wife Mary (better known to friends and loved ones as Frances or Fran) first moved to Concordia at Cabot’s Haven Apartments in October of 2001. Concerned for their wellbeing after Fran began having health problems, their children had suggested they consider moving someplace where assistance would be available to them whenever they needed it. Since they lived locally, they knew of Concordia through word-of-mouth and decided to check it out.

George and Fran’s daughter Brenda stopped by the campus hoping for a tour of the facility, but at the time, they didn’t realize that tours of the facility had to be scheduled in advance. As luck would have it though, Brenda ran into a couple they knew living in the apartments and was offered an informal, impromptu tour, ending with an invitation for George and Fran to come visit. And so they did.

“After that visit, my parents signed up almost right away,” said daughter Bev. “Before we knew it, they were auctioning their house and getting ready to move in!”

Throughout the years, George has seen a lot of change at Concordia. After the Haven I fire, George and Fran moved into the newly constructed Lund Expansion and stayed there until an apartment became available in Haven II. George was hesitant to relocate again, initially wanting to wait until Haven I was reconstructed so he could move back to where his friends had been. It took a bit of convincing, but they finally moved into an apartment that was the exact same model as their apartment in Haven I. For the couple, it felt as though they had never left.

George and Fran worked together to complete everyday tasks and maintain their independence.

“Mom would let Dad know when it was time to shuffle the laundry from the washer to the dryer, and he would go and do it,” Bev remembered with a smile. “But it was nice to know that someone was watching out for them, even when they were in Independent Living. The building coordinators are wonderful.”

Bev believes that her parents’ lives as international missionaries made it easier for the couple to transition into their lives at Concordia. Including the move to Concordia, Fran moved 56 times in her life.

Today, George resides in Lund Personal Care; Fran passed away in Nov. 2013. Even now, both Bev and Brenda are thankful for the care that their parents have received. Bev listed the facility’s cheerful staff, cleanliness, security and variety of activities as some of the things she loves about Concordia, as well as the respect that is given to patients and residents. But perhaps what she loves most are the various levels of care that have been available to her family.

“My family has dealt with Independent Retirement Living, Personal Care, Skilled Nursing and Good Samaritan Hospice over the years,” Bev said. “With every level, the care and commitment shown by the staff has been the same.”

But Concordia wasn’t the only gift to George and Fran’s four children as their parents grew older.

“My parents’ decision to move to Concordia was their own,” Bev added. “It truly was a gift to my siblings and me. They made many important decisions for themselves while they could so that we didn’t have to make them on their behalf.”

To learn more about the services offered at Concordia and our continuum of care, visit the Care Levels & Services and Home & Community Services pages of our website. For general information, call our administrative headquarters at 1-888-352-1571 or message us through our Contact Form.