Life at Deupree House is more than Nancianne and Joe Parrella ever expected.
A dynamic couple enjoying the height of their golden years, the Parrellas moved to a two-bedroom apartment at Deupree in 2010 from a sprawling home in Princeton Junction, New Jersey with a garden, yard and “all those things you have in suburbia.” And they’re loving every minute of it.
“I found out that I could fit everything that we needed,” says Nancianne. “We have lots of room, and it’s quiet. I even have a little spot in the gardens to put my flowers which I absolutely adore. That was one of the first things I asked for here, and they gave it to me straightaway.”
Deupree House has been the Parrellas' first experience of apartment life, and they can’t stop asking themselves why they didn’t move in sooner. At first, both Nancianne and Joe were struck by how accommodating life could be, but now, after more than two years as residents, they understand.
“We talked a lot to the administration before we moved in,” says Joe, “and they would tell us a list of things they could do for us: ‘we can take this down; we can add a wall here. We can do almost anything you want, and we have the time to do it,’ and so those all played into me feeling very comfortable moving here.”
“It’s our home, and everyone kept telling us that.” says Nancianne. “That’s a very significant statement to us. It is our home,” she emphasizes.
But what are such healthy and vital people—Nancianne has an active career in New York and Joe has a busy social life—doing in a retirement community?
Nancianne and Joe are staying ahead of the game.
Like many of their Deupree House neighbors, the Parrellas made their move to a retirement community at the peak of health so they could enjoy the experience of senior living, the activities and friends, while leaving behind the hassles of home maintenance.
The Parrellas know how important friendship and community is in senior living, and sympathize with how difficult it can be to build new friendships, especially in a community where you have little in common with your neighbors. They found all that changed at Deupree House.
“What I like, probably about as much as anything else, is the warm reception that we received when we got here,” says Joe.
In New Jersey, Nancianne travelled often (and still does), so Joe was left to his own devices. At Deupree House, the Parrellas found that they had moved into an active retirement community of like minds.
Nancianne loved how they were drawn into community from the very beginning.
“There is a committee that introduces you to people right away when you’re here,” she says. “There’s a little pre-dinner party with a few other residents where you all get to know each other, talk about what everyone’s background was, then you all go to dinner together, and that has helped enormously.”
Joe found that he is never without opportunities to entertain.
“I became very close to a lot of people. Indeed, I eat dinner every night with my group of ladies on the second floor,” he says with a twinkle in his eye as Nancianne laughs. “And they’re very nice.”
Both the Parrellas appreciate the range of activities available to them in the comfort of their own home—from the vibrant social life to the state-of-the-art wellness center to the five star cuisine. They can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to live at Deupree.
