Independent Living – The Willows of EverTrue Brooking Park

Mary Calcatera has lived at The Willows, the Independent Living residences of EverTrue Brooking Park, for more than four years. Her move to the community was a big decision for Mary, her husband and her family – one that took many years of research, discussions and visiting multiple communities.

“We lived in Chesterfield for 40 years and had established a great life here, but when we were put in a position to organize an estate, we realized we didn’t want to put our family through what we went through and started to look more seriously,” said Mary. “We choose The Willows because it was smaller than the other communities but still had everything we wanted in a community.”

Mary said that the genuine feeling of caring in the community, the camaraderie and the support were all selling points and were in great display early in their EverTrue Brooking Park residency after a health scare.

“Right after people found out, we were getting two to three cards a day, with people offering to run errands, or pick things up for us,” said Mary. “The community really showed up for us in a time of crisis and that, more than anything, made us realize we made the right decision.”

Mary said life at The Willows is like living in a 24/7 co-ed dorm, where everyone is getting to know themselves all over again. She wanted to make sure that sense of community and of fun would remain the same when she first heard about the St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors Systems affiliation with EverTrue.

“I was aware of EverTrue, and EverTrue Mason Pointe since it is nearby,” said Mary. “When I went online to do some research, I was impressed by EverTrue’s longevity and figured that anything that was around for that long and still growing was a good business.”

Mary was particularly happy with the EverTrue commitment to the many levels of care provided by EverTrue Brooking Park, with its history of strong CMS ratings and its focus on resident satisfaction.

“That focus on the different levels of care is important to me, and to others in our community as that is why we moved in to Brooking Park, to know that we would have options and be taken care of should we need it,” said Mary.

With the affiliation completed, Mary is pleased to see the changes moving The Willows and Brooking Park in a positive direction.

“We love where we live and are excited to know that others want to make this community as positive and joyful a place as we know it to be,” Mary said.