April 9, 2026

The time to choose a senior community may be sooner than you think

When it comes to planning the next step of their aging journey, people often wait too long to move to a senior living community. They may feel that they aren’t “old enough.” They may be reluctant to sell their homes. Some assume they’ll have to give up their independence, and others wait until a health scare forces the issue. The irony is that once residents make the move to Paul’s Run, they often say the same thing: “I should have come here sooner!”

For Edith Bennett, the decision to move to Paul’s Run took a few years.

“We came to look,” she recalls. “But went home and decided we weren’t ready yet.”

She and her late husband, Richard, were living in a large ranch home in rural Pennsylvania. Gradually, the couple began to feel isolated. There were few activities nearby and keeping up with their home was difficult. An earlier skiing injury and arthritis also began to limit Edith’s mobility.

Another year passed and by then the need was clear. They explored several places, but Paul’s Run stood out. The community had something Edith wanted: the ability to age in place. As a nurse for 30 years, she understood how quickly one’s needs could change. Having independent living, assisted living, and skilled care all in one community was not only convenient, but necessary.

It was when the couple made their move in 2021 that they discovered something completely unexpected.

“Here it was like a new beginning, a new life,” Edith explains. “Before we moved, all my husband wanted to do was stay in bed and do nothing.”

Newly energized, Richard re-engaged with life. He joined the men’s club and spent time in the gym and the library. He attended chapel services and enjoyed the food, music, and entertainment. For three and a half years, he embraced everything Paul’s Run had to offer before he passed peacefully in hospice care. Even then, Edith was deeply moved by the compassion of the staff, especially the Walk of Honor they organized to pay tribute to his life.

Edith is now a Resident Ambassador, helping new residents feel welcome from their very first day.

“I always say that it’s like being on a cruise without the ocean,” she laughs.

From Recovery to Rediscovery

Rita Talotta’s journey to Paul’s Run initially began with a health crisis. Last March, after waking up with a severe headache, she called 911 and was rushed to the hospital where she spent six days recovering from a stroke.

After time in rehab, Rita spent 18 days in personal care while Paul’s Run staff assessed her strength and mobility and helped her work to improve both. Rita had one clear goal: to stay as independent as possible.

“I was determined to make myself better,” she says. “I had to be able to walk up six steps. They used to wheel me from my bed to the gym where we did the workouts. After a week or so I said, ‘You know, I think I can walk.’ And from then on, I walked.”

When Rita’s daughters offered to have her move in with them, she knew that wasn’t the right decision for her.

“I said, ‘No,’” she recalls. “I would be sitting home alone during the day while they’re at work. I told them that I knew someone here, because I knew somebody from the senior citizens group at my church who moved here and loved it. So, I said, ‘I want to go to Paul’s Run.’”

Rita is happy with her decision. Today, her life is full of activities and friendship. She plays Bingo and is part of a five-person team on Family Feud game nights. She also enjoys the paint-and-sip afternoons, casino outings, and shopping trips organized by the community. Just as meaningful to her is Sunday Mass. The first time she attended, she saw that same friend from her senior citizens group at church, and they were both surprised and delighted to meet again.

Now that she no longer worries about cooking every meal and grocery shopping, Rita spends her time connecting with neighbors and embracing each day as it comes.

You Don’t Have to Wait to Start Living More Fully

For Edith and Rita, moving to Paul’s Run enabled them to enter a fuller, richer season of life—and both discovered that you don’t have to wait for a crisis or a milestone birthday to begin enjoying everything a senior living community has to offer.

That’s why so many residents look back and say, “I wish I’d moved here sooner.”