Retire Your Worries at Eagle's Trace

When Chuck and Jacqueline "Jacque" Bertrand started exploring their senior living options, they were looking for a community that would eliminate the stress and hassle of home maintenance.

"We loved our house, but it was beginning to feel like the work, the risk, and the costs were outweighing the reward of living there," says Chuck. The couple was living in a large single-family, golf-course-adjacent house they had built in Houston's Pecan Grove neighborhood in 1996.

"Our two-thirds of an acre required a lot of landscaping--beyond routine mowing and trimming," he adds. "And there I was, at 80, stringing Christmas lights on the roof. It was too risky!"

So, when the Bertrands discovered that Eagle's Trace, an Erickson Senior Living community in West Houston, Tex., offers maintenance-free residences, predictable monthly costs, and a variety of amenities, they knew they had found the community for them.

Crunching the numbers

The couple met and married in France, where Jacque lived and Chuck was stationed for his post-college Army service in the mid-1960s.

Chuck, who grew up in San Antonio, Tex., brought Jacque back to the Lone Star State and settled down in Houston. There, he worked his way up in finance, eventually owning his own company.

A businessman by nature, Chuck took a hard financial look at the many retirement communities they visited and compared them all.

"I considered everything being offered," recalls Chuck, who was intrigued by the monthly service package.

The community's monthly service package bundles the costs of most utilities; a meal plan at on-site restaurants; maintenance, including repair and replacement of appliances, and more, into one predictable bill.

"We decided that Eagle's Trace was fairly priced and represented the best value of all the communities we researched. At other communities, units cost more and were smaller," he explains. "And where else could we move that offered eight different dining venues?"

Long-term stability

Behind the scenes, Erickson Senior Living ensures that affordability and quality remain hand in hand, helping create long-term stability for residents.

"Given the size of the organization, we are able to have tremendous buying power for items such as food, utilities, and residence refurbishment supplies," says Finance Director Tricia Stringfellow. "This allows for better pricing for residents."

"Eagle's Trace management has kept costs under control," notes Chuck. "Eagle's Trace and Erickson have done a good job managing the effects of inflation."

Stringfellow adds, "I take pride in saying that we reinvest in our community, allowing us to address residents' wants and needs. The community's leaders have a great partnership with our Resident Advisory Council--the voice of the residents. Great effort is made to ensure resident requests are considered in our annual capital and budget planning, creating a better life for our residents."

"We were pleasantly surprised by the expansion of the dining options after we moved in," says Chuck.

Added value

Without the stress and hassle of home maintenance, residents have more time to pursue their hobbies and interests--especially since access to the community's amenities is also included in the monthly service package.

Eagle's Trace boasts an expansive fitness center, creative arts studio, woodshop, pickleball and bocce courts, library, and dozens of clubs to participate in.

"We also found that no other senior living community we considered has the expansive campus, lakes, and green space for walking that Eagle's Trace does," recalls Chuck. "We have met so many people while out walking around campus. It is an oasis that is exceedingly appealing."

"There are so many ways to look at value added to one's life. It all depends on what is important to a resident," Stringfellow says. "For many, freedom from worry, freedom to spend more time with friends and family, and freedom to focus on the things you enjoy add real value."

A carefree lifestyle

Since their move four years ago, Chuck and Jacque--and their dog and cat--have enjoyed an unparalleled lifestyle. It combines financial stability, impressive amenities, and engaging social opportunities, enabling them to make the most of their retirement.

"For us, Eagle's Trace had the best blend of attributes by far," says Chuck. "We are so glad we made the move when we did. We came here while we had the energy to make new friends and enjoy all that Eagle's Trace offers."

Request more information today to learn more about the financial benefits of moving to Eagle's Trace.

By Susan Ingram