Saranac Village at Will Rogers

I have been working at Will Rogers for almost 13 years now, I can assure you it''s not only the residents who enjoy their time here, but the staff as well. I am blessed to work in an environment that brings so much joy.

I have had the pleasure of working at Will Rogers since September of 2023 as the Director of Community Relations. To say it is a special place would be an understatement. I have had good jobs in the past, but this isn''t just a job, it''s become a part of my life that means so much. I feel so lucky ...

I have had the pleasure of working at Will Rogers since September of 2023 as the Director of Community Relations. To say it is a special place would be an understatement. I have had good jobs in the past, but this isn''t just a job, it''s become a part of my life that means so much. I feel so lucky to work with such compassionate and caring people. Jamie Whidden, our Executive Director is without a doubt the kindest and most genuine person I have ever met. Everyone takes great pride in making our community a truly wonderful place for us to work and for the residents to live.

My mother-in-law recently became a resident and she is thriving! Staying at Will Rogers is described as “independent living”, but the services provided and the vibrant social life facilitated by the caring and professional staff give the residents a much greater sense of community than one might...

My mother-in-law recently became a resident and she is thriving! Staying at Will Rogers is described as “independent living”, but the services provided and the vibrant social life facilitated by the caring and professional staff give the residents a much greater sense of community than one might find in other environments.

The first time I toured Saranac Village I asked, "when can I live here?" Although I have not reached the magic number yet (55), I did get to experience what it was like having a family member live there for 4.5 years when it was time to move my dad out of his own place in Naples, FL. The administrat...

The first time I toured Saranac Village I asked, "when can I live here?" Although I have not reached the magic number yet (55), I did get to experience what it was like having a family member live there for 4.5 years when it was time to move my dad out of his own place in Naples, FL. The administration worked with us to get financial assistance set up so Dad could enjoy a studio apartment with large windows. He was so thrilled with the delicious food served every day, the regularly scheduled errands options and free transportation to appointments. All the staff were kind and encouraging to him, stopping to chat with him when he rested on the facilities-provided rolling walker he used to get to meals in the dining room. As he became less mobile, he was so pleased to get his favorite lunch, "two soups and a salad" delivered to his apartment. He highly valued the weekly laundry and housekeeping amenitites, saying, "I''m looking forward to getting my clothes and apartment cleaned tomorrow!" He stayed at Saranac Village all through covid and was so thankful for the tremendous care and dedication of the administration and staff to negotiate such a health crisis with unprecedented success, not having a single resident contract covid during the first year and then arranging to have public health nurses come to Saranac Village to offer vaccinations to residents and employees as soon as they became available. As Dad got older and did not leave the building as much anymore, he was still able to enjoy music and entertainment that was performed weekly on the original vaudville stage in the dining room. He was particularly grateful to attend his grandson''s high school holiday music concert there, where he did not have to brave whipping winds and icy sidewalks to get to it. When Dad fell in his apartment late one night, without having his medi-alert button on him, it was thanks to the conscientious staff member who asked in the morning, "Why haven''t we heard from Landon yet today?" that he was found so quickly and the rescue was called. All through his stay in the hospital and nearby nursing home, he asked every day when could he go home to Saranac Village, missing their good food and friendly staff. Every time I spoke with him, he said, "I am so appreciative that you brought me here to live at Saranac Village. I didn''t know how good it could be!" Thanks so much to all the staff at Saranac Village for taking care of my dad--as he would say, "You made an old man happy!" for the last few years of his life.