By Kenneth S. Allen
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Earl and Marge Short had been thinking for a while about moving out of their Blakeney-area house and into a retirement community.

They looked around in the Evanston, Ill., area where one of their daughters lives, but the weather there was a deterrent. “We really didn’t want to entertain the idea of moving back north,” says Mr. Short.

But one good thing did come out of their search: They found Sedgebrook, one of Erickson Retirement Communities’ Chicago-area properties.

While they weren’t inclined to move to Illinois, they found several attractive elements in an Erickson community. Chief among them is the 100% refundable entrance deposit.

Deposit on better life
“We liked the idea that our children will inherit our deposit,” Mrs. Short says.

They were also intrigued by Erickson Retirement Communities’ approach to health care. “We didn’t care for the prepaying for our medical care and then running the risk of not needing it,” Mr. Short says. “And then there is the security of knowing that if we do run out of all our available funds, we can tap into our Erickson deposit.”

When The Erickson Tribune started arriving in their home, the Shorts realized that they could get the benefits of an Erickson Retirement Community without leaving the Charlotte area. Since Windsor Run was not accepting deposits at that time, the Shorts made their deposit at Sedgebrook and had it transferred to Windsor Run once the welcome center opened for business.

“What the Shorts did was very clever,” says Lydia Hill, retirement counselor at Windsor Run. “It allowed them to get a higher position on the priority list, which could give them a larger choice of apartment styles.”

Because the buildings are still being designed, the Shorts have not yet picked a floor plan, although they know they want an apartment home with either a balcony or patio so they can have quick access to the outdoors.