Terry and Diane Oppold love the comfortable, friendly community at Good Samaritan Society – Prairie Creek in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
“It’s large enough to offer so much, but it’s small enough to be intimate,” says Diane.
“You just become a big family,” says Lindsey Kitchen, the senior living supervisor at Good Samaritan Society – Prairie Creek.
The Oppolds, who have been married 54 years, moved to Prairie Creek almost two years ago and couldn’t be happier with the senior living community and their independent living twin home.
“We probably started talking about it 10 years ago. We knew we were getting older and knew it would take time for us to decide,” says Terry.
Making the decision
As they got more serious about moving, the Oppolds felt the Good Samaritan Society would be the right place for them.
“A good friend of my wife’s showed us her unit here at the campus. We really liked it, so we talked to management and got our name on the waiting list,” Terry says.
The next steps included working with Lindsey. Lindsey regularly helps couples decide if senior living is right for them.
“I go through the benefits of what it would be like to live here, like getting to socialize with others,” says Lindsey.
The Oppolds’ other connection to the Society was to Sioux Falls Village where Diane had been a receptionist for 10 years.
“I felt so blessed to be a part of the Good Samaritan Society. And we felt that this would be a really solid Christ-based community to move to,” Diane says.
Tips for downsizing
Terry and Diane went through a time of downsizing and received good advice. They also have advice for others considering the move to a senior living community.
“Someone suggested that we take pictures of things that we were going to get rid of, but have an emotional tie to. You have to ask yourself, ‘How long has it been since I’ve looked at that? Has it been packed in my garage or basement for 15 or 20 years or more?’ If you think you’re going to grieve when you’re parting with it, then take a picture of it and you can still see it,” says Diane.
Terry suggests working on downsizing even if the apartment or twin home you want isn’t available yet.
“Little by little every week, get rid of another box,” he says.
Lindsey says the Good Samaritan Society has resources available to help people with downsizing.
“They can come in and help you decide what to bring. There are other resources that include providing somebody to come in and help pack a person’s things or even help them move,” says Lindsey.
The moving process
It didn’t take long for the Oppolds to get a call that there was a twin home available.
“There were a couple of busy months with a lot of trips to Savers and St. Vincent de Paul and Goodwill, and a rummage sale,” says Terry.
Their previous home was just a mile from Prairie Creek, making the move convenient.
“It was an easy jaunt over with boxes in the trunk. The day of the move, we called Two Men and a Truck and we were out of our house and in this house, with beds made and everything within about three hours. We still comment on how well we slept the very first night here,” Terry says.
Lindsey, an eight-year employee of the Society, has witnessed many positive reactions from residents who made the move. She and the rest of the Prairie Creek team are happy the Oppolds like their new home.
“I think Terry and Diane are a great couple and from day one I feel like they’ve done well. What I love about working here is the residents and being able to help them with what they need,” says Lindsey.
The joy of independent living
The Oppolds are grateful for maintenance-free living and the variety of social, wellness and recreational opportunities on campus.
“We have many activities listed on a monthly calendar and we can avail ourselves of those. I got to know the ladies in the bell choir and the person heading up the bell choir asked if I could accompany the bells. They put on singalong concerts twice a year that have just been delightful,” says Diane.
Prairie Creek has an indoor pool, a fitness room, a game room, a billiards table, a theater, a chapel and a hair salon. Every Monday, there is a Bible study led by the campus chaplain.
And the outdoor spaces offer scenic walking paths and a garden area.
“I love the landscaping. I love the wildlife. We have a beautiful huge pond with a fountain on the grounds,” Diane says.
“I’ve always been a gardener and the fact we have a garden spot here is great,” says Terry.
Cultivating friendships
Being part of a senior living community has made it easy for the Oppolds to make new friends.
“When we first moved in, we got a photo book that has a short biography of everyone that lives on campus, and it really helps us to get to know who people are. If I meet someone at the Lodge and come back home and can’t remember her name, I can find the name and her picture and then read a bio of her,” says Diane.
“One thing we like about the campus is it isn’t so large that you aren’t going to get to know the residents here. And we discovered after we moved here we already knew a number of people,” says Terry.
When the couple has friends over, they like to eat a meal together and play cards or dominoes.
“There’s a variety of games that you can play with dominoes and it’s pretty easy to teach someone a fast game. I think any kind of an interaction where people can share a pastime just helps bring people closer together and relax,” says Terry.
Twin home sweet twin home
Diane has been a lifelong pianist and appreciates having room for her piano in their twin home’s living room. She and Terry like the spacious kitchen and view of birds and other wildlife from their patio door.
Terry is grateful he doesn’t have to worry about home maintenance since he stays busy with a part-time job at a local funeral home.
“I’ve told Diane more than once I feel relaxed here because I don't have that pressure of when something breaks that I have to fix it. I don’t even have to put salt in the water softener. So, to me it’s just that ease of having some of the pressures of life taken off,” says Terry.
“If anything goes wrong, we can call Lindsay. There is such a helpful spirit among the people that live here and work here. The employees are extremely friendly and welcoming,” says Diane.
