Community Feature
The Pennswood Village Cognitive Well-Being Team: Combating Fear with Education
Pennswood Village residents are known for their caring, welcoming and inclusive culture. Recently, residents became more interested in learning more about how to support those dealing with a dementia-based diagnosis. Although all new residents move to an independent living apartment when they first come to Pennswood Village, most already know of someone who is dealing with dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.8 million American are currently living with dementia and that number is expected to rise to 14 million by 2050. As a proactive senior living community, Pennswood Village’s leadership has supported the foundation of the Cognitive Well-Being Team, a group comprising of both staff and residents that focuses on cognitive health and support for those with cognitive difficulties. Their efforts will better serve existing residents, as well as those who will become a part of our community and may face this diagnosis in the future.
Pennswood Hosts “Inspired by the Garden” Gallery Show
Winter didn’t stop Pennswood residents from celebrating the color and life found in its gardens. Last month, the art show, “Inspired by the Garden,” opened in the Passmore Gallery, featuring beautiful art centered around a garden theme.
The show featured a range of colorful art curated by Pennswood residents, including paintings, photographs, collages, pottery, figurines and jewelry—all inspired by the garden. Among these curators were Flossie Fullerton, Jan Neitzel, Jane Crumlish, Daisy Grubbs, Lucy Hastings, and Lee Cavanaugh.
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The Benefits of Life Care: Federal Income Tax Deductions
Pennswood Village is a proud continuing care retirement community that offers residents a maintenance-free lifestyle and a full continuum of healthcare services, all covered under a Life Care contract. But, what is a Life Care contract?
A Life Care contract is an agreement between a resident and the community that covers most future healthcare expenses. It is the most comprehensive level of healthcare coverage available in a retirement community. With this contract, residents pay a one-time entry fee, as well as a monthly service fee, that covers everything from campus maintenance and dining to amenity upkeep, utilities and programing. The cost of a Life Care contract is largely dependent on both the floor plan and contract type you select.
Pennswood Village Residents Give Back to Employees with Employee Scholarship Fund

Pennswood CEO Ben Hoyle making his remarks during the Employee Scholarship Luncheon.
As a Quaker Continuing Care Retirement Community, Pennswood Village often celebrates stewardship, generosity, and giving back. The Employee Scholarship Fund is just one example of this culture in practice.
Every year, Pennswood Village residents contribute donations to the Employee Scholarship Fund, a fund dedicated to investing in the education of current Pennswood employees.
“The scholarship means that I am supported by the community,” says Nicole Folston, scholarship recipient and fitness trainer at Pennswood. “The support and encouragement I have received from the residents and my peers has been the most valuable to me through my back to school process.”
Donating to this fund is a special way for residents to thank employees for their hard work and to invest in their futures. Currently, the Scholarship Fund has benefitted almost 100 employees, with over half a million dollars donated.
Joining the Pennswood Village Community: An Interwoven Tapestry

Helen Greven, and her sister Lisa Taylor
Pennswood Village is a community that prides itself on celebrating diversity and inclusion, so when you move to Pennswood, you will no doubt be welcomed with open arms and open hearts.
The transition to community living is made easy by being paired with a current resident, also known as a sponsor. Matches are made on a personal level. Your sponsor will be there from the start, even before you move into the community, to help guide you through the process and show you the ins and outs of community life.
Pennswood resident Helen Greven shares her experience of moving to Pennswood, and what inspired her to get involved in making Pennswood a more welcoming place for new residents. Read her story below:
“My husband and I moved to Pennswood Village in 2005 in our early 70s. We knew no one already living here, but in the course of numerous visits had been impressed with the beautiful campus, friendly atmosphere and the many activities offered. We came earlier than originally planned because exactly the apartment we wanted became available. I realize now how farsighted the founders were to plan for centralized mailboxes surrounded by a cafe, bank, mailroom, library, art galleries, gift shop, auditorium, hallway of bulletin boards, with Resident Health offices, Personal Care and Skilled Nursing facilities just down the hall.
FAQ: I Want to Reserve My Spot, What’s Next?
After searching for the right community, and planning for the next step in your life, you’ve finally decided to call Pennswood Village your home. So, what is your next step? The process of becoming a resident of Pennswood Village is made easier with the help of our friendly, experienced staff.
Each person moving to Pennswood is unique, and is often faced with circumstances, questions, and challenges that we are happy to talk about and suggest solutions. Our staff knows that moving can be fun and uplifting, but it can also sometimes be confusing, scary and unfamiliar. Our staff takes great pleasure in making your move as stress-free as possible by getting to know you and your expectations.
A Night at the Movies!

Photo Credit: http://classy-inthecity.com/post/7303173898
“Everything I learned, I learned from the movies,” iconic movie star, Audrey Hepburn once said.
Movies are a widely popular form of entertainment at Pennswood Village, and the Film Committee strongly believes in Hepburn’s sentiment. Movies are a wonderful way to impart meaning to the mundane, evoke emotion, and teach us valuable lessons, as well as to simply provide entertainment. This belief in the importance of film and celebrating different types of cinema forms the backbone of what the Pennswood Village Film Committee aims to achieve with every film they project.
Every week, three times a week, you will find a movie playing in Penn Hall. Fridays are typically family film nights, Saturday nights are for more mature, complex films, and Monday nights feature a more diverse showing of special interest films ranging from black and white classics, to musicals and cutting-edge documentaries.
A Day in the Life of the Dining Services Utility Department
Blue, black, burgundy or purple polo shirts … These are the uniform colors of the Utility Staff of Dining Services that residents see all day and evening, walking the halls in Woolman, Barclay or the Village.
The Utility Staff is comprised of many bright young minds who strive to provide great service to all the residents, guests and their fellow co-workers. They are responsible for numerous and essential tasks throughout the Dining Services Department on a daily basis.
When residents hear “utility,” they think of dirty dishes! Each day the Utility Staff collect, wash, sanitize and store approximately 4300 pieces of silverware, over 5000 pieces of china and nearly 2000 pieces of assorted glassware. Our resilient pot washers hand scrub, rinse and sanitize between 1000 and 1200 pots, pans, sheet trays, and utensils daily to support the culinary team and department.