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One of the many benefits of a Life Plan Community is that residents can move from one level of care to another as their needs shift…all while remaining in a familiar environment. Jim Pierce and his wife Bettie, who have lived at St. Catherine’s Village in Madison, Mississippi for nine years, found themselves in this exact situation as Mr. Pierce’s physical health changed after an illness. Now 93, he receives the right amount of care and support in skilled nursing while Bettie remains in the couple’s independent living garden home on campus.

During their early retirement, Mr. and Mrs. Pierce split their time between a home in North Carolina and a condo in Florida. After an accident and multiple cardiac arrests, Mr. Pierce knew it was time to start planning for the future because, “you never know what’s going to happen.” Part of that planning included a visit to St. Catherine’s Village, where they fell in love with the 160-acre wooded property.

The couple purchased a homesite within St. Catherine’s Village with the intention of building an independent living garden home after selling their property in North Carolina. While the new section of the community was being developed, the Pierces met another couple in North Carolina who already lived in a garden home at St. Catherine’s Village. Shortly thereafter, the Pierces decided it was the right time for them to move to the Life Plan Community. Then the pandemic hit…and COVID-19 hit Mr. Pierce.

“Because of my accident, I had already slowed down some and my balance was off,” he explained. “But COVID put me in dire straits. I wondered, ‘What am I going to do now?’ Thankfully I was able to move to the Tuscany building on the St. Catherine’s Village campus. And my wife was able to stay in our garden home.”

The St. Catherine’s Village team praised Mr. Pierce for taking the initiative to do something different to ensure both he and his wife receive the best quality of life for the level of care they each need.

The Pierces are a perfect example of what an all-inclusive Life Plan Community can provide. He truly has maximized the skilled nursing experience and looks at life with a glass half full attitude. He brightens up the area for everyone—both staff and other residents.

Today, Mr. and Mrs. Pierce have settled into a routine where she comes to visit him in Tuscany and he can use a scooter to go down to the dining room for meals with her. He is very involved with her life and her protection even though he’s not living in the same house. He continues to manage much of what needs to be done in their garden home, making contact with the right staff when the need arises.

“I found out in the corporate world that you’re not there to be king, you’re there to be a leader and give credit where it’s due,” said Mr. Pierce. That’s one reason why he treats everyone he comes in contact with at Tuscany—from housekeeping to caregivers and nurses—with respect and is the first one to share compliments. ”They have been so good to me here. I have been so blessed.”

Married for 68 years, Mr. and Mrs. Pierce have two daughters who often visit them at St. Catherine’s Village along with seven grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren spread across the country from Montana to Dallas to Nashville to Mississippi.

As Madison’s preeminent all-inclusive Life Plan Community, St. Catherine’s Village provides the right care at the right time with independent living in apartments and garden homes, assisted living in Marian Hall, memory care in Campbell Cove, skilled nursing in Siena Center and Tuscany, and skilled nursing dedicated to memory care in Hughes Center.

The private, gated community boasts a caring staff, on-site resident-centered care, and a mission-focused environment, and was the first CCRC in the state to earn accreditation by CARF-CCAC. This “commitment to excellence” seal signifies that the campus exceeds the standards established by the only international accrediting body for Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC).

To learn more about senior living options at St. Catherine’s Village Life Plan Community, log onto www.StCatherinesVillage.com or call (601) 856-0123 to schedule a tour.

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