“I don’t have all those bills anymore,” she says. Previously, Donaldson was tackling a monthly onslaught of bills including gas, electric, and water. “Especially property tax bills. I’m extra-glad I don’t have to worry about that now.”
Residents at Henry Ford Village typically write two checks a month—one for their monthly service package (which includes all utilities except phone plus one meal a day in the community’s restaurants) and one for their phone bill.
Safety and security are important to Donaldson, too, and she feels Henry Ford Village fits the bill when it comes to those issues.
“If there’s a weather emergency, I know there are people here who will alert us,” she says. “They have 24/7 security here, so I don’t have to worry about breakins. I feel a real strong sense of security here.”
Donaldson says she’s also impressed by the maintenance team at the community.
“Even if it’s just changing a lightbulb, all I have to do is call maintenance and they’ll do it for me. It’s incredible,” she says.
Everything under one roof
Other conveniences onsite include a fitness center, swimming pool, convenience store, postal services, and a full-service bank.
“I use Comerica Bank here right on the premises,” Donaldson says. “I also use the library here.”
Virginia Brower, who moved from Birmingham, says she is one of the Village Market’s best customers. “They are absolutely wonderful there,” she says. “I’m there a lot.” Brower says she shops at the market for groceries as well as other necessities such as lightbulbs, Scotch tape, and batteries.
The market is open seven days a week to community members and offers a wide variety of groceries including milk, eggs, and canned goods, as well as gift items, greeting cards, and jewelry. Shopping carts are available to transport groceries. For $5.00, an employee will even deliver items right to a resident’s door if they can’t get out due to illness, for example.
Donaldson says she doesn’t have to cook if she doesn’t want to. Community members get one meal a day and can choose from any of the campus’ three full-service restaurants.
“The food here is wonderful,” she says.
All in all, Donaldson says since she moved to Henry Ford Village her life has gotten simpler, leaving her more time to just sit back and enjoy her retirement years.
“There are no two ways about it,” she says. “It was an absolutely wonderful choice to make, moving here. I just love Henry Ford Village more all the time.”