The Gatesworth is a home away from home for the extended family of its residents. Patricia Allen, 95, knows this well since five generations of her family have had the pleasure of taking part in myriad family events hosted by the senior living community for children and grandchildren. The Gatesworth community, she says, comes as close as it possibly can to fulfilling the concept of ‘home’ while also offering superior later-life care for its residents.
To be closer to one of her daughters, Allen moved to The Gatesworth from her home in Kansas City in 2008. Her husband had died five years prior, and Allen was alone. She is wistful about her old life, but says moving here changed everything. “They couldn’t have been kinder,” she says. “Just like family.”
Holidays, in particular, are celebrated in style. “You can invite your whole family if you want,” she says, noting that she has 10 great-grandchildren. (Her great-great-granddaughter is 7 months old). “Santa comes at Christmas, the bunny at Easter. He gives out baskets and hides eggs. My great-grandchildren love to pull his tail.”
Residents also may book private rooms for special gatherings. The rooms are in high demand. “I’ve held a party for my out-of-town children. It was beautifully done,” Allen says of the delicious meals that can be created. Those can be credited to The Gatesworth’s award-winning executive chef Brian Hardy, who will even prepare their favorite family recipes if residents ask.
“I’m not a cook, and have almost never made anything,” Allen says with a laugh. “But if you can provide the recipe, the chef will make it for you. We have the best chef in all the city.” In addition, a holiday dining take-out service offered by The Gatesworth, ‘From Our House to Yours,’ will prepare turkey, ham and all the trimmings for a holiday feast should a resident want to bring the dinner elsewhere.
Allen says she is excited about the Christmas season because Santa comes for the children. The festivities begin shortly after Thanksgiving with a Santa breakfast and a Hanukkah dinner and menorah lighting. A winter carnival, Christmas Eve and Day dinners, and New Year’s celebrations follow.
The carnival, which resident program director Kathy Davis calls a “cavalcade of merriment,” is a new tradition, now in its third year. “It’s a completely family-focused event with musicians, circus acrobats, carolers, hot chocolate and cookies,” she says. Davis’ own mother has lived at The Gatesworth for the past nine years so she knows firsthand the importance of such events in the lives of the residents. “There’s nothing like going to grandmother’s house for the holidays,” she says. “And we do our best to keep that magic alive. When our residents see their families come in, it really fills them with joy.”
Allen’s grandchildren range in age from 6 to 21, though only one lives in St. Louis. When she arrived at The Gatesworth, she says she didn’t know a soul. Now she has a host of wonderful friends. “I can’t tell you how much I love it here,” Allen says. “The truth is, I’ve come home.”
[The Gatesworth offers a wealth of opportunities for residents to host friends and family on its campus. Pictured on the cover is the Gatesworth resident Patricia Allen with family. For more information, call 314.993.0111 or visit thegatesworth.com.]
Cover design courtesy of The Gatesworth | Photos courtesy of The Gatesworth
Pictured: Gatesworth resident Patricia Allen’s family enjoys holiday festivities
