Residents Find Freedom in Retirement Living While Continuing to Work

Attorney John Killian had no intention of giving up his work while enjoying "retirement."

Mechanicsburg, Pa. – Moving to a retirement community doesn’t have to mean retirement from work.  Instead, for some seniors, it enhances the opportunity to continue doing the paid work they enjoy even as they discover the freedom of an active, maintenance-free lifestyle with a wide array of programs and amenities.

For Sally and John Killian, the decision to move to Bethany Village, a continuing care retirement community in Mechanicsburg, came after they were tasked with finding nursing homes for several family members and cleaning out their houses.  “After that experience, we decided to make the move and choose where we wanted to live so the decisions wouldn’t be made for us.  We wanted to spare our children and haven’t looked back once,” says Mrs. Killian, who is 77.

Mr. Killian, who is 81 and an attorney, continues his active law practice with daily visits to his firm’s offices in Harrisburg, where he checks the mail and picks up files. He works from, as he describes it, his “gorgeous office” in their Bethany Village guest room.  After 57 years practicing law, first as deputy attorney general and beginning in 1964 as founding partner of Killian & Gephart, LLP, John isn’t about to give up the work he loves.  For about 20 hours a week, he reviews contracts, consults on legal matters, attends clients’ board meetings and “has the honor” of settling estates, many of them for his clients and friends.

“Living at Bethany has enhanced my ability to work,” Mr. Killian says.  “I don’t have to worry about the details of cutting the grass, shoveling snow, or hiring the plumber to fix leaks.” Not having to concern himself with those details means that Mr. Killian has time to read two books a week from Bethany Village’s well-stocked library, serve on Bethany Village’s beautification committee, and remain active in his church, including service on the board of Presbyterian Homes and on the Presbytery Council.  Mrs. Killian finds time to serve on the Bethany Village wellness committee and as vice chair of mission support and fundraising for Presbyterian Senior Living.   Together, they make daily use of the gym and pool at the Bethany Village fitness center, where a variety of fitness classes are offered throughout the day.

The decision to make the move was easy for Carol and Clyde Cressler, who moved two years ago from a large single family home in Enola, Pa., to Bethany Village.  “It was easier to downsize our home and move while we were still working,” says Mrs. Cressler, age 66.  “The older you get, the harder it is to move.” 

She and her pharmacist husband, age 67, are owners of Care Capital Management, which provides pharmacy services to retail, institutional and home-bound customers throughout Pennsylvania and New York.  Despite the demands of their business and an active travel schedule, they find time to participate in Bethany Village’s committees and activities, including the dining committee and a Parkinson’s support group, not to mention playing dominoes with friends.  Bethany Village offers concerts, educational seminars on a variety of topics, trips, and a host of other social activites.

Both couples highlight the benefits of making the move to a retirement community.  According to Mrs. Cressler, “Our cottage is beautiful, and everything is easier here at Bethany Village. It’s a myth that you shouldn’t go into a retirement complex unless you are sick and frail.” 

“We didn’t have to give up anything to come here,” says Mr. Killian.  “We’re as active in the community as we would be if we were still in our private home.”  Mrs. Killian agrees:  “Downsizing is behind us, and you can’t imagine the freedom that comes with getting rid of all the stuff you saved for the kids that they don’t want.  There is a tremendous opportunity for a full, rich life here, along with continuity of care if we need it.  My advice:  don’t put it off.”

Bethany Village is a CARF-CCAC-accredited continuing care retirement community that is part of Asbury Communities, Inc., which provides management and support services for a system of continuing care retirement communities for older adults. It is ranked by the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) and Ziegler Capital Markets Group’s AZ 100 as the 14th largest not-for-profit multi-site senior living organization in the country.

CONTACT: 
Beth Merkel
Bethany Village
717-591-8072

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Seniors continue to work while enjoying benefits of retirement living.