Continuum of Lifestyle Choices

Brightmore welcomes active retirees who wish to combine independence with a small-town atmosphere. Studio, one-bedroom, one-bedroom deluxe, two-bedroom and two-bedroom deluxe apartments are available for a monthly rental fee. Each apartment home includes a full kitchen, all utilities (except phone service), 24-hour security and medical emergency call stations, weekly housekeeping and flat linen service, scheduled transportation, daily choice of meals, recreational/exercise programs, and an onsite beauty/barber shop. The new Aquatic/Fitness Center features an exercise room and pool with a flume for resistance lap-style swimming and walking. There's also a seated whirlpool area. Brightmore is located midtown between the Cape Fear River and Wrightsville Beach. It is on the same campus with The Kempton (assisted living) and The Commons (personal care). Brightmore residents are priority listed for services at any of the other communities that make up the continuum of lifestyle choices. Call to learn more about the refundable priority deposit program.

For assisted living, The Kempton at Brightmore provides a supportive environment promoting an independent lifestyle with the benefit of onsite, professionally managed services. It is designed for those individuals who may need assistance with certain everyday activities, but who do not require continued medical services. Residents choose from a variety of studio and one-bedroom units. Each unit is equipped with a kitchenette and an emergency call system. All meals are provided along with housekeeping service, flat linen service and utilities (except phone service). Staffed 24 hours a day, The Kempton offers a full social calendar, scheduled transportation, an exercise room, the Country Kitchen and an onsite beauty and barber shop. The Kempton is part of the continuum of lifestyle choices offered at Brightmore of Wilmington.

The Commons is a community where dignity, choice and individuality make the difference in personal care in all activities of daily living. Each of the spacious rooms is individually climate controlled and has ample closet space with a private bathroom and shower. Residents are encouraged to bring their own furnishings to reflect their own personal tastes. Each room is equipped with an emergency call-response system to which staff respond 24 hours a day. The monthly rate includes three meals a day, assistance with personal care, housekeeping and laundry, administration of physician-directed medication, utilities and free transportation to the doctor. Cable television and private telephones are optional. Residents may choose among optional services such as a barber and beauty shop and physical and speech therapy. Licensed practical nurses and assistants are on call 24 hours a day. Residents enjoy a full calendar of social events and activities. The Commons also offers a 32-bed memory care unit, Paraklay Way. The Commons at Brightmore is part of the continuum of lifestyle choices offered at Brightmore of Wilmington.

Clare Bridge is designed specifically for people with Alzheimer's disease or other memory impairments. Everything is geared to help individuals with memory problems to live the most independent and fulfilling life possible. Clare Bridge's homelike settings are designed to re-create environments people have enjoyed throughout their lives, with interior spaces scaled and decorated like those of a private home. Indoor and enclosed outdoor walking paths give residents the opportunity to explore safely. Clare Bridge also offers its own dining program designed by a team of specialists including a gerontologist, corporate chef and professional dietitian. This unique program preserves residents' ability to enjoy meals with special culinary offerings, personal assistance, consistent seating arrangements, music, centerpieces and fresh linens to heighten the dining experience. Other amenities include 24-hour staff and licensed nurse, assistance with personal care and hygiene, laundry and linen service, mealtime and feeding assistance, housekeeping, medication management, and an audio-security system. Clare Bridge also offers life-enrichment activities, memory-support programs and outings to increase self-esteem and independence.

Coastal Plantation is a beautifully landscaped community for individuals who are at least 55 years of age. Residents purchase the house and lease the land. These quality manufactured homes range in price from $98,000 to the $180s, depending on the size and options. Most homes have an outdoor utility shed, mature plantings, all appliances, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, and wooden decks. This is a community for those who appreciate living independently within the context of a planned community. A clubhouse, swimming pool, regular potluck suppers and activity groups provide social opportunities.

This small community for active, mature individuals age 55 or older is located in a quiet, secluded setting, within walking distance of New Hanover Regional Medical Center, physicians' offices and shopping. Glenmeade Village offers 104 apartment homes available in four floor plans. Choose from spacious one-, two- or three-bedroom units on one level, or a two-bedroom townhouse design. All of the tastefully decorated apartments are air-conditioned, energy efficient and fully carpeted, and include ample closet space, large windows, washer/dryer (three-bedroom units only) and fully equipped kitchens. Community amenities include an enclosed heated pool that is open year round, with aqua fitness classes offered two days a week, a clubhouse that's open daily for socializing and card games, a tennis court, a greenhouse and a laundry room. Twenty-four-hour emergency maintenance service is available. Small pets are accepted.

One of Wilmington's best-kept secrets, this outstanding retirement community offers attractive, spacious, unfurnished apartment homes with a variety of floor plans. Units are available in studio, one-bedroom or two-bedroom styles at surprisingly affordable month-to-month rents; a lease or buy-in is never required. Within the main building, each apartment has a kitchenette, carpeting and window treatments; most feature a balcony or porch. Free laundry facilities are located on each floor. There are also many comfortable common areas, a huge fully equipped kitchen for resident use, exercise facilities, a pool table, two libraries and several multi-purpose rooms. In addition to the apartments, eight cottages are available, equipped with full kitchens and washer/dryer. Resident managers are on duty 24 hours every day for assistance. Included in the monthly rent are heating/air conditioning, electricity, water, cable TV, all maintenance and repairs, weekly housekeeping (including linens and towels) and three nutritious, chef-prepared meals daily with a choice of entrees (main building residents only). Transportation at no charge is available on a scheduled basis for residents who have appointments or shopping to do. In addition, the facility offers numerous organized activities, movies, tours and excursions.

Plantation Village is a life-care retirement community on 56 acres within Porters Neck Plantation. The campus has a library, bank facilities, an auditorium, a gym, an indoor swimming pool and spa, a woodworking shop, a crafts room and many more amenities in addition to the standard flat laundry, lawn and maintenance, and planned activities services. Plantation Village is a unique retirement community in that it receives people in good health age 62 and older and offers professional, long-term nursing care services from nearby Cornelia Nixon Davis Health Care Center and Champions Assisted Living. Before nursing care is needed, residents have access to a wellness center on the campus, a 24-hour nurse on call and the visit of a doctor each week.

This excellent program offers job counseling and training for qualified people age 55 and older who are residents of New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick, Columbus and Onslow counties; applicants must meet certain income-level requirements. With grant monies from the Federal Government administered by the Cape Fear Area United Way, the Senior AIDES program benefits individuals by providing them temporary part-time employment at local agencies in order to gain skills and work experience. The goal is to help these individuals move into permanent full-time or part-time positions.

Senior Games by the Sea, a year-round health-promotion program for mature adults (55 and older), is part of a state-wide network sanctioned by North Carolina Senior Games, Inc. Each spring, Senior Games by the Sea holds the local athletic and SilverArts competition. Winners at the local level can participate in the State Finals held in Raleigh each fall. In five-year incremental age groups, seniors compete in more than 40 sports, such as archery, billiards, cycling, swimming, track and field, tennis, spin casting and horseshoes. In addition, senior artisans and performers have an opportunity to showcase their talents in the SilverArts competition, with categories that include visual, literary, performing and heritage arts, everything from painting, woodwork, dance and music to sculpting and crafts. Registration begins February 1 and runs through early March 17.

UNCW's Lifelong Learning program offers a tremendous selection of lectures, concerts, plays, institutes, educational courses and activities, many of them geared especially to the retired population. You could keep busy all year long by taking advantage of the extensive offerings. Choose from art, history, music, languages, women's courses, personal growth, travel and professional development programs. A variety of topics are also covered in the breakfast or lunch lecture series and the foreign policy discussions. Call for your free copy of the catalogue, Pathways. Through UNCW's Adult Scholars Leadership Program, older adults learn about past and current problems in the region together with possible solutions. Some subjects covered in this excellent seven-week program include history, Southern culture, health and human services, media, government, arts and economic development. Adult Scholars are encouraged to use what they've learned to become more actively involved in enhancing the community through volunteer and entrepreneurial service. For information about this program, call (910) 962-2127.