Business Spotlight: Retirement community dispels myths of aging

Mary Murray has converted the second bedroom of her apartment at The Montclair into a den. The shelves next to her TV are filled with dozens of photos of her children and grandchildren. Children's craft projects made out of colored paper hang here and there. She's quick to point out the newest one, which was given to her by her granddaughter.

Like many older adults, Murray had some reservations two years ago when she left her home in California and relocated to The Montclair, a five-story, brick retirement community on Springfield's south side. Now Murray says she couldn't be happier. The move has brought her closer to her family, and she's made many good friends at The Montclair.

Although it is an independent-living retirement community, The Montclair has added a number of services for residents since it opened in 1988. Someone from the housekeeping staff cleans each resident's apartment biweekly, and residents also can pay for an optional laundry service.

Oxford Home Health Care has an office on site that provides support services to residents, which range from help with bathing to check-up calls and reminders to take medication. In addition, a full-time nurse is available Monday through Friday. A wellness clinic, which provides a weekly blood pressure check and a monthly blood sugar check, helps keep residents healthy.

The Montclair also has added several activities that stimulate residents both physically and mentally. In back of the building, you can find a six-hole pitch-and-putt golf course. Inside, there's a billiard room and a place to play checkers. Two new computers with Internet access are being added, which will allow residents to send and receive e-mail. In fact, several residents have signed up for a class, offered through a local computer club, on how to use the computers.

In the mini-library, residents can read the morning newspaper or check out books, which are swapped out regularly through the Springfield-Greene County Library's bookmobile.

According to General Manager Barbara Ray, expanding the number of services has helped The Montclair keep up with the latest trend in elder care, a concept called "aging in place." Aging in place allows older adults to get all the services they need in one place so they don't have to keep relocating as their needs change. However, when safety becomes a concern, residents do leave The Montclair and move to assisted living facilities or nursing homes.

The Montclair, in contrast, is classified as an independent retirement community. Rental units range in size from a 480-square-foot studio apartment to a 910-square-foot, two-bedroom unit. Cable TV, meals, utilities, housekeeping, numerous activities, a shuttle bus transportation service and an emergency call system are included in the rent.

Two other rental retirement communities exist in Springfield, and all have a high occupancy rate, according to Ray. Not surprisingly, The Montclair has a waiting list of people who would like to move in to one of its 158 rental units.

According to Ray, many of the residents who decide to live at The Montclair cite the meal service as the deciding factor. The dining room at The Montclair is run like a restaurant. Orders are taken at each table, and residents usually have six to eight entree selections. This variety allows residents to go for many weeks without ever eating the same meal twice.

Although none of the selections are geared specifically towards diabetics or others with special dietary considerations, the variety of selections allows residents to put together meals that fit their needs.

Although demand to get into retirement communities is high, The Montclair is land-locked at its location and expansion is impossible, or at least prohibitively expensive, according to Ray. The Montclair won't be expanding its physical size any time soon.

"We add more and more services every year," Ray said. "But the best services we provide are intangible, such as a friendly staff that's committed to helping our residents maintain their dignity."

The Montclair

Year founded: 1988

Owner's name: Municipal Mortgage & Equity LLC

Address and phone number: 1000 E. Montclair, Springfield, Mo. 65807; 886-2100