“It’s like one big happy family.” – A Royal Park Place Testimonial
Roy & Jan Alofs may not be the typical couple you think would live in a senior living community. They’re a bit younger than the average resident, and Roy still works as a part-time truck driver. There’s no reason they need to live in a retirement community like Royal Park Place. But they love living here.
The Alofs first came to know Royal Park Place when Roy’s stepmother Lois lived here. When Lois began to need assistance, they appreciated how much Jeff Zylstra, the Royal Park Community Manager, kept them up-to-date on Lois’s changing needs. After Lois passed away, they didn’t want to give up the apartment at Royal Park Place, so the family leased it out.
“We’d kind of had it in our mind that we would probably come here sometime,” Roy says. “We knew we would at least wait until we were 70, but we also didn’t want to wait too long.” When the most recent lease expired, the Alofs decided it was time to make the move. “We’re still able, physically and healthwise, to enjoy our time here, so we thought, ‘Why not?’” Roy says.
“I knew it would be good for us. And it is. It’s working out great. We’re very, very pleased with our experience here.”
That experience includes a rich social life, full of activities and opportunities to stay active and meet people. Roy has loved the Royal Park pool table since back when Lois lived there, and they both spend a lot of time in the fitness center. Roy meets with a group for coffee in the mornings, and Jan often enjoys time with a group of women who chat. “We have so many sitting areas in different places, and sometimes we’ll stop and talk to people there.”
The Alofs talk about other aspects of Royal Park Place that make their lives so much easier. They love the food: crab cakes, rhubarb pie, and more. “We get fed well,” Jan says, and adds, laughing, “almost too well!” They have attentive maintenance workers who respond quickly. And they love knowing that Assisted Living is available on campus. “We don’t like to think about it, but we’re getting older,” Jan says. “If we ever need assisted care, we don’t have to move to a new place.”
But perhaps the best part about living at Royal Park Place has been the care they’ve felt every day, from chaplains who check on them and pray for them, to neighbors who feel like family.
“If you have a concern, everybody has a concern. They share your concerns with you. If you have a joy, they share their joys with you,” Jan says. “It’s like one big happy family.”
“We’re glad we made the decision to move here,” Roy says. “It’s a good feeling, a freedom, to know that no one is alone here. Everybody—staff and the residents—they care about you.”
