Mr. Erickson: Our job is to provide the very best services to support your retirement. We’ve created an environment that promotes well-being and health. There are so many things to be involved in, and when you’re engaged with other people socially and intellectually, you really are healthier.

When you’re living alone, your social structure can unwind so quickly and so naturally. You drop out of the bridge club, you don’t feel like driving at night. Socially, we can wind down without even noticing it. That’s not good for you.

People who live at Erickson communities have a great time. They’re socially engaged and they make a difference. Let me give you an example. At Charlestown, we had a waiter named Kevin—a great teenager still in school—who had some difficulty reading. Well, I just mentioned this to Muriel, a retired schoolteacher living there. She took it upon herself to personally tutor Kevin. Because of her, Kevin went to a four-year college. Muriel didn’t stop there. She was inspired to organize an entire mentoring program at Charlestown.

Erickson: I greatly admire people who say, “I can always make life better.” Over the years, people tend to grow into one of two groups. Some people just stay in their house and hope nothing unpredicted happens. Others plan for the future and put some energy into planning for the future.

If you want to connect and be involved, you have to plan ahead. Don’t wait for people to have to make a decision for you. There are two universal comments I hear from people who live at Erickson communities across the country: “I didn’t do it soon enough” and “It’s better than I could have ever imagined.”