For Saul Posner, living in Hawthorne Estates is in a lot of ways nicer than living in his own home. The management at the independent living facility in southwest Ocala provides his daily meals, cleans his apartment regularly and he doesn’t have to worry about household repairs or yard work.
“I feel like I’m living in a hotel,” the 87-year-old Posner said. “I have my room, and they clean it. They feed me. And I don’t have to do any weeding or any of that.”
Hawthorne Estates, located at 3211 SW 42nd St., Ocala, provides independent living in an affordable, resort-style setting. It’s 93 spacious units provide residents with their own residence with an array of services from meals and utilities to recreation and social activities.
“The owners specialize in providing quality living options for seniors,” said Susie Carey, Hawthorne Estates’ Chief Operations Officer.
Retired insurance investigator Dick Powell moved to Hawthorne Estates this year and said it is a perfect situation for a single senior like him.
“I was going to buy a house, but I don’t cook anyway,” the 86-year-old widower said. “So, my kids said, ‘Dad, why don’t you move into independent living.’ So, I did. This is a nice place. It’s good for somebody who is by themself. It’s clean and they have good management, and that means an awful lot.”
Diane Jones, 71, was born and spent much of her life up the road in Gainesville. The retired medical group administrator has lived in Hawthorne Estates for the past year and said she loves it, especially her one-bedroom apartment.
“I love my apartment here,” she said. “I’m on the second floor on the front of the building. It’s large and has a good-sized kitchen, which is important to me because I love to cook.”
Jones said what makes Hawthorne Estates different from other independent living facilities is it is dog-friendly – her dog, Lily, lives with her – and the apartment, in addition to being spacious, has lots of windows and plenty of natural light.
“The best part of living here is the apartment — and it’s all-inclusive,” she said. “The only thing they don’t provide is your telephone.
“It’s clean, it’s pretty, and I chose it because they have skilled nursing and rehab in the building next door.”
One aspect of Hawthorne Estates living that all the residents praised are its activities. There is always something happening, from cards to games to bingo to the weekly Friday night Happy Hour. There are also occasional educational programs to help enrich residents’ lives. And the common areas are wide open and available for use at all times.
If you can’t find something to do on the property, it is conveniently located near the Paddock Mall and State Road 200 areas.
Jones said the activities have gotten even better since new ownership, Infinite Care, took over this past April.
Posner and his girlfriend, Laura Seidel, who lives across the hall from him, agreed with Jones’ assessment. For Posner, poker is one of his favorite hobbies, and Seidel, who plays cards every day, there are ample opportunities to engage in their fun-time pursuits.
“I love it,” Seidel said. “The people are helpful and friendly, and they have plenty of activities going on.”
“And we like to dance,” added Posner, who is from Ocala. “The weekly Friday night Happy Hour provides us an opportunity to do that.”
For residents of Hawthorne Estates, its all-inclusive living is a major selling point.
Included in their monthly rent are all meals – buffet-style lunches and dinners in a spacious dining room, and light breakfast offerings and beverages in the facility’s bistro off of the lobby.
“The food’s good,” Powell said. “I’ve got no complaints about the food. They’re good meals, not junk meals.”
All utilities — again, except for your personal phone — are also part of the package. That means electric, water and sewer, cable TV, wireless internet and trash removal.
Hawthorne residents can schedule transportation on the facility’s van through the front desk, or they are welcome to have their own vehicle, with free parking on the property.
For those who want to see a doctor without having to leave the facility, Carey said Hawthorne Estates has an outside concierge physician service that will come and treat residents in their homes.
“You don’t even have to leave your apartment and go sit in a doctor’s office,” she said.
As for the apartments at Hawthorne Estates, residents have a number of options. They can choose between studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. The apartments have a modern kitchen, individual heating and cooling units, plush wall-to-wall carpeting, a large bathroom with safety features, spacious closets, blinds, screened porches and smoke alarms and a sprinkler system.
Hawthorne Estates is a smoke-free facility, too.
In addition to all that, residents are provided weekly apartment cleaning as well as weekly linen service. Laundry facilities are located in convenient areas throughout the facility, although personal laundry service is also available for an extra fee.
Carey summed Hawthorne Estates living by saying, “It’s not what you’re giving up in a private residence, it’s about what you’re gaining.”
And her residents agree.
“The management and the people who work here really care about the residents,” said Jones, the retired medical group administrator.
“The management is super,” added Posner, who said he would not hesitate to recommend Hawthorne Estates to his friends. “Like I said, it’s almost like living in a hotel.”
Anyone interested in checking Hawthorne Estates out is invited to attend any of the Friday night Happy Hours, must simply call to RSVP first.
For more information contact
Hawthorne Village of Ocala
3211 SW 42nd St., Ocala
hawthornevillageofocala.com
(352) 237-7776, ext. 255
