Lifecare Love Stories: Together at Edgehill

Sixty-two years ago, Mike and Beverly Smith promised to be by each other’s side for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. Today, thanks to the peace of mind that comes with Lifecare at Edgehill, they continue to live those vows—side by side, in a setting where they never have to be apart.

“No matter what happens, we are taken care of right here,” says Beverly. The couple and their 8-year-old yellow Labrador Sandy moved to Edgehill from nearby Greenwich in 2023. The decision allows them, after careers in which Beverly worked full-time in education and Mike travelled extensively, to focus on enjoying their retirement years and each other.

Seamless Support Through Every Stage of Life

As a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), Edgehill meets residents’ changing needs within its four distinct neighborhoods—independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing and rehabilitation—which blend seamlessly into one continuum of award-winning care. With a Lifecare plan—a contract that provides access to higher levels of care with more predictable costs—residents have access to all of those services should the need ever arise.

“We were planning ahead that at some point we would be less abled,” says Mike, “and now we are in this situation where we have the mechanisms for going forward.”
“The nice part about this is that if you are in your apartment and your spouse needs that special care, you go up and visit them or, if they are in good shape, they come down and have dinner with you,” adds Beverly. “All of that is appealing because you are together. Nobody is at a hospital miles away.”

Redefining Retirement for Couples

Many older Americans feel it is taboo to consider a retirement community—that they are either giving up their freedom or admitting that they are aging. In doing so, they can miss out on a vibrant life. That is why Elizabeth Dupree, Edgehill’s director of sales and marketing, encourages retirees to shift their attitude.

“As soon as you say, ‘retirement community,’ all of these false ideas come into their heads and it is all negative,” says Dupree, who notes a large number of the community’s apartments are occupied by couples. “I get that people are afraid, but if they do not do anything, the same result will happen. You are coming to Edgehill to live and enjoy life and expand your social circle. To take care of each other. It is a gift to be able to do that.”

A Thoughtful Move Inspired by Family

The Smiths already had several friends at Edgehill and saw the benefits of a CCRC. Their decision to move was accelerated by their son’s passing at the age of 59. “His comment to Beverly was, ‘I am not going to be around to help you,’” recalls Mike. That got them thinking about the large home and yard they were still maintaining in their 80s and about what they went through with their own parents.

“We knew by our parents’ situations that something might happen where we might not be together,” recalls Beverly. “Mike’s parents, when his mom was alone, we had to help. It was hard to find consistent help. My mom was a widow, and she had no idea what to do and she had to get rid of all the possessions in her house by herself. With Mike and me, we did that. Our adult children helped figure out what they wanted. Making these decisions as a couple was such a good process.”

Embracing the Good Life—Together

Here they have kept their friends and hobbies in nearby Greenwich while enjoying the community’s active social calendar and dining options. They walk Sandy four times a day and Beverly, who maintained sprawling gardens at their home, leads the grounds committee. The Smiths know their needs will be taken care of at any stage of life and they take comfort in their newfound network of friends—and they are doing it all together, just as they promised 62 years ago.

“I cannot think of anything that I would change about living here,” says Beverly.