New Retirement Home Offers Seniors Chance to Stay at Home

Carleton-Willard Village has been a continuing care retirement community in Bedford since 1884. And while they offer people over the age of 65 a place to go when they retire, through a variety of surveys, Carlton-Willard found out that if people had a choice, they would prefer to stay at home after they finish working.

And so 18 months ago, Carleton-Willard started an at-home program in Bedford. The program now extends into Concord, Lexington, Carlisle and Lincoln with over 100 members. And the program is looking to enter Winchester sometime in the spring.

“Since we have the expertise, we decided to launch this at-home program,” said Stephanie Smith of Carleton-Willard. “There are a number of benefits for people to stay in their community and for them to be able to stay in their homes.”

The program offers members a variety of services, opportunities to socialize, fulfills transportation needs and has discounts on local services.

The annual fee is $650 for an individual and $800 for the house.

And while Smith acknowledged that a local has some of the same features, they can’t personalize it like Carleton-Willard can.

“We give people the peace of mind they need,” Smith said. “When people shouldn’t be on the ladder anymore, but they worry that if they have to find someone they could be taken advantage of. But that’s what we give people. We give them options and help in accomplishing those needs.”

According to Smith, Carleton-Willard screens all potential service providers – handymen, electricians, plumbers. And since providers need to negotiate through Carleton-Willard, if they do a poor job, they will not be recommended again to the at-home members.

Smith also explained that while the Council on Aging offers similar services, since it is funded with public money, they can’t play favorites with their service providers. They are also only allowed to drive residents around as long as it’s within town limits, while Carleton-Willard has none of those stipulations.  

“We offer members a variety of services to allow them to stay at home,” Smith said. “We have exercise programs and we really cater to the needs of an individual.”

“This program is very good for people who are frail,” said Ruth Young of the Winchester Council on Aging. “We do similar things, but we don’t offer those concierge services. This program will help people stay at home longer and longer.”

While a resident can find someone to shovel their driveway, the Carleton-Willard at-home program will also make sure someone shovels the steps. According to Smith, it takes the needs of the members to the next step to ensure they don’t need to worry about living on their own. Smith said that it’s these concierge services that allow residents to stay in their homes long after they retire.

“If people want to stay at home after they retire, this is a program they should seriously consider,” Smith said.

For residents interested in the at-home program at Carleton-Village, there will be an informational session at the, March 10 at 11 a.m. and March 18 at 7 p.m.