When it comes to really knowing what distinguishes Bishop Gadsden from all other senior living communities in the area, look no further than the residents themselves. They are the ones who participate in the activities, dine and explore what “BG” life has to offer. “BG” – that’s the term of endearment known by all; it’s like a nickname for the closest of friends.
When they talk about BG life, it is as if they are talking about life with a friend. Thoughtfully designed spaces, a rich tapestry of activities and a supportive network of caregivers and friends enables residents to age gracefully and live vibrantly. No one takes this truth for granted.
Ron Hacker – ‘This is a happy community where we have a voice.’
Yesterday, Ron Hacker probably played cards – penny poker with a group of BG friends that he meets weekly. He is also probably still talking about the BG trip to the South Carolina Aquarium where he and others received a behind-the-scenes tour and learned about sea turtle care.
Many days of the week you can find him on the golf course, either at the local country club where he is still a member, at BG’s putting green or at a local course with BG friends.
His passion for the outdoors is also satiated by croquet games, bocce ball and peaceful walks along BG’s woodland trails. Hacker loves learning about the trees, which all have identifying tags.
“BG is a campus community, it is not a facility,” Hacker said. “There is fine dining here that incorporates food stations so we can eat what we love – Italian food, wood-fired pizza, for example.”
Hacker has been at BG for more than three years. He and his wife, Carol, moved to Kiawah Island from Chicago in 2000, and then to BG in 2021.
“We moved here not just for us, but for our children,” Hacker explained. “They know that everything we need is here and they do not have to worry.”
“We are in a happy community with caring employees,” he added. “Leadership manages things, but every resident has a voice.”
Tish Ray – ‘BG Attracts Life-Loving People’
Tish Ray’s introduction to the BG community was during a less-than-ideal time – the pandemic – but she said that the way the administrators and staff kept life safe and interesting convinced her that BG was her ideal new home.
“We heard all the news about how hard Covid hit senior living communities, but we always felt safe,” Ray said. “We huddled like a family and ensured that anyone who had to come or go was closely monitored so that our exposure to Covid was as limited as possible. Even more than it was already, the outdoors became our refuge.”
Ray and others praise Bishop Gadsden’s more than 100+ acres, specifically the wooded trails which residents opened and lovingly maintain.
“BG handles the heavy maintenance, like felled trees and larger landscaping needs, but a community of outdoor-loving residents created and offer the TLC,” said Ray.
Ray and others use BG golf carts to help residents who can’t walk the trails “experience the woods,” she said.
BG is a place that attracts “think with the heart, life-loving people from all walks of life,” Ray noted. “It’s a dog-loving place too; they are pro-people having dogs.”
Croquet and remote, radio-controlled sail boating on the community pond are also resident favorites.
Carolyn Lee – ‘I’m In Good Hands and I Trust Myself’
Every aspect of Carolyn Lee’s move to Bishop Gadsden and her life there has been smooth.
BG was only a few miles away from her home, so she already knew the neighborhood; for Lee, it was love at first sight for BG’s community, its gardens and woods.
Bishop Gadsden was the “perfect place to call home while the world went nuts,” she said.
Like Ray, Lee moved in as the pandemic roared. It was March 16, 2020.
“We had to think about logistics like how to get a moving truck without risk of exposure,” Lee said. “No one had experienced a pandemic before. But everyone at BG knew the importance of keeping us safe. They did well and kept getting better and better as the months unfolded.”
If there is ever a naysayer about senior living, Lee would be the first person to shift the negative perspective.
“Every activity that I need is available—even more than I could have imagined,” she said. “Plus, I chose Bishop Gadsden. I knew that the responsibility of having a good experience was on me. I trust myself; I don’t have to rely on an uncertain world to make things certain.”
“BG has experience and expertise in areas that I have not experienced yet. I’m in good health and I have good bones, but when things change, I know I’m in good hands,” Lee added. “All I had to do was trust and leave those unknowns—and others–to them.”
Lee shared an “If Only I Had Known” story about her earliest days at BG that still makes her smile.
“When you come here, they ask you to write a short bio,” she said. “They explain that it will help others know who you are. I wrote my little bio, and it was a little bio.”
Little did Lee know that this little bio is a big way that folks get to know each other. Most bios in the directory are not so little. She loves that her way of meeting people—really getting to know them—still starts first in person. While gardening or enjoying other activities, she has met many interesting friends.
Each night when the sun sets on the Bishop Gadsden community, it becomes clear that BG is more than just a place to reside—For Hacker, Lee, Ray and others, it’s a haven infused with compassion, purpose and possibility.
Learn More: bishopgadsden.org
By Lisa Moody Breslin
