Before coming to Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill, Ed Campbell was living on his own in a rowhouse in the East Falls section of Philadelphia. Prior to that, he had spent 40 years in a large four-bedroom colonial in Lansdale, where he and his then-wife raised their three sons.
As Ed got older and developed some health problems, he came to the realization that, sooner rather than later, he was going to need more help. He was adamant he didn’t want his children to have to take care of him.
“I realized I didn’t need all that space in my house anymore, because it was just me,” he said.
Ed began searching for retirement living and continuing care facilities where he could get extra assistance if he needed it. He “fell in love” the first time he stepped foot on the Masonic Village campus. He immediately put down a deposit and selected a one-bedroom apartment.
“To be honest, I didn’t look at any other apartments except the one-bedroom,” Ed said. “I certainly didn’t need two bedrooms. The living room was a nice size, and I didn’t need a den. I liked that everything was on one level, which made things easier for me. It was perfect. I didn’t see the need for the extra room.”
Ed felt a little sad leaving behind all the memories he made in his house in East Falls, but the move to Masonic Village was pretty stress-free. His sons did all the work emptying his house. Ed only brought over clothes and furniture that would fit into a one-bedroom apartment. He got rid of everything else.
“I had looked at other facilities for this next stage in my life, but none were as homey and comfortable as [Masonic Village] was,” he said. “The first time I walked in, I felt comfortable. It was not as intimidating as, say, a five-story high-rise building. I felt at ease here.”
Ed enjoys spending time on his second-floor balcony, which overlooks a lovely courtyard. He likes to plant flowers. He takes part in campus activities, especially Trivia Night and attending shows in the auditorium.
“I would recommend Masonic Village to anyone,” he said. “I’ve been totally happy since the day I moved in. If anything goes wrong, the maintenance staff are usually here the same day to fix whatever it is. I don’t have to worry about anything. I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. Coming here was the best decision I made in a long time.”
