On an afternoon in mid-April, Suzette Moyer prepares for a talent show at her community, Arbour Square of Harleysville. The talent she will put on display: drumming, which she will perform with many of her fellow residents. “We’re divided into two groups, and we picked two different songs, one for each group,” she says. “I was assigned to ‘Mamma Mia’; the other song is ‘Roll Back the Rug.’” Drumming is a relatively new skill for Moyer, a native of Syracuse, New York, but she has never been one to shy away from uncharted territory. Moyer met her husband, Jay, when he came to Syracuse to study political science at Syracuse University. After earning his degree, Jay wanted to return to his hometown in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where he became a fixture in county and state politics. She accompanied him, devoting her career to education, including several years as a teacher at Oak Ridge Elementary School in Souderton. “When I met Jay, I had yet to visit the Harleysville area,” she says. “It had one stop light, and I thought: I can’t live here. He assured me I would love it, and I did; I found the people to be wonderful, and I made the adjustment.” Adaptation is a vital skill when it comes to aging. With older age comes a breadth of new experiences—some welcome, others challenging. Physical health plays an outsized role in one’s ability to weather significant challenges, but one’s ability to adjust to all sorts of changes is just as consequential. Moyer faced perhaps the most significant adjustment of her life in 2018, when Jay—her husband of nearly 50 years—passed away at the age of 70. She stayed in their three-floor Lederach home for a time, but ultimately decided she was ready for a change of scenery. Upon visiting Arbour Square of Harleysville, she discovered “a sense of joy and peace” she had not expected. She visited a second time with her twin sister, Suzanne, and brother-in-law, Tom, both of whom still lived in Upstate New York. “As we were getting ready to leave, I asked my brother-in-law, who hates nursing homes, ‘What do you think?’” she says. “He turned to my sister and said, ‘Suzanne, if they had an Arbour Square in Syracuse, we would be living there.’” Moyer, 76, is into her second year at the community. She appreciates the closeness among residents, as well as their creativity, kindness, and engagement. Her days are full—a gardening committee, two book clubs, church, Bible study, walking on trails surrounding the community, the occasional happy hour with fellow residents. Moyer also possesses a strong philanthropic streak. “When I wake up in the morning, put someone in front of me I can help,” she says. “That makes me feel fulfilled. We all need to help each other go through this journey. … Sometimes it’s just sitting and listening to someone else, asking good questions. Kindness is so important.” While she’s happy with her decision to move into a continuing-care retirement community, she admits that some aspects of the experience have taken some getting used to. She misses the quietude and natural surroundings of her former home. “I had floor-to-ceiling windows at my last home, so I could go anywhere in the house and visually see the moon and the Three Sisters,” she says, referring to another name for Orion’s Belt. “I’m in an apartment now, so how do I solve that need to see the [night sky]? If I go to different parts of the building, you can see for miles, so I’ll go there and look at the moon at different times of the evening. “It is a big sacrifice in some ways, but I knew that going into it,” she continues. “When I left Syracuse, it was a huge change, leaving my home and my twin sister. If I could do that, I knew I could move to Harleysville. The people here are loving; the residents care deeply for you. … It’s a joyful place. Life is full and fun here, and that’s how I want to see myself.” The Story Continues When people get to the point in their lives when their longtime family homes become too much to handle or too much for their needs, it may be time to consider moving into a continuing-care retirement community. These communities provide safety, opportunities for enrichment, and the security that comes from knowing their health and wellness will be in good hands. The Philadelphia area has an abundance of reputable CCRCs, among other living options for older adults, many of which are outlined here. Acts Retirement Life Communities Brittany Pointe Estates in Lansdale, Fort Washington Estates, Granite Farm Estates and Lima Estates in Media, Gwynedd Estates in Ambler, Normandy Farms Estates in Blue Bell, Southampton Estates, and Spring House Estates in Lower Gwynedd actsretirement.org Ann’s Choice – Erickson Senior Living Warminster ericksonseniorliving.com/anns-choice Arbour Square of Harleysville Harleysville trueconnectioncommunities.com Artis Senior Living Huntingdon Valley, Yardley, and Princeton, New Jersey artisseniorliving.com Atria Senior Living Atria Bethlehem, Atria Center City in Philadelphia, and Atria Lafayette Hill atriaseniorliving.com Bellingham at West Chester West Chester seniorlivingbellingham.com Brandywine Senior Living Haverford Estates and Upper Providence in Phoenixville brandycare.com Chandler Hall Newtown chandlerhallhealthservices.org Cornwall Manor Cornwall (Lebanon County) cornwallmanor.org Daylesford Crossing Paoli junipercommunities.com Dresher Estates Dresher dresherestates.com Dunwoody Village Newtown Square dunwoody.org Eagleview Landing Exton eagleviewlanding.com Elm Terrace Gardens Lansdale elmterracegardens.org Franklin Court Senior Living Quakertown franklincourtpa.com Freedom Village at Brandywine Coatesville fvbrandywine.com Friends Home & Village Newtown fhvpa.org Garden Spot Village New Holland gardenspotvillage.org HarborChase of Wilmington Wilmington, Delaware harborchase.com/harborchase-wilmington The Hearth at Drexel Bala Cynwyd thehearthatdrexel.org The Hickman West Chester thehickman.org HumanGood The Mansion at Rosemont, Rydal Park & Waters in Jenkintown, and Spring Mill Pointe in Lafayette Hill humangood.org IntegraCare Glen Mills Senior Living, Exton Senior Living, Chestnut Ridge at Wallingford integracare.com Kendal-Crosslands Communities Kennett Square kendal-crosslands.org The Manor at York Town Jamison themanoratyorktown.org Maplewood at Princeton Plainsboro, New Jersey maplewoodseniorliving.com Maris Grove – Erickson Senior Living Glen Mills ericksonseniorliving.com/maris-grove Masonic Villages Lafayette Hill and Warminster masonicvillages.org Meadowood Lansdale meadowood.net Merrill Gardens Merrill Gardens at West Chester, Truewood by Merrill in Glen Riddle merrillgardens.com Oxford Enhanced Senior Living Langhorne oxfordenhancedseniorliving.com Pennswood Village Newtown pennswood.org Phoebe Ministries Allentown and Wyncote phoebe.org Pickering Manor Newtown pickeringmanor.org Pine Run Village Doylestown pinerun.org Pleasant View Communities Manheim pleasantviewcommunities.org Riddle Village Retirement Community Media riddlevillage.com The Solana Doylestown Warrington thesolanadoylestown.com Solera Senior Living Plush Mills in Wallingford and Echo Lake in Malvern soleraseniorliving.com Springton Lake Village Media springtonlakevillage.com Sunrise Senior Living Abington, Haverford, Lafayette Hill, Media, Newtown Square, West Chester, and Yardley sunriseseniorliving.com Symphony Square Bala Cynwyd symphonysq.com Waverly Heights Gladwyne waverlyheightsltd.org White Horse Village Newtown Square whitehorsevillage.org Image by Gaspard Delaruelle from Pixabay Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, June 2026.
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