By Kathy Kurtz Ferrari
Staff Writer
6/25/09
Sitting on the western edge of town, a vibrant community coexists peacefully with our town.
Unless you are over 55 or have an older relative, you may not even know it’s there. But sprawled on over 60 acres of lush, wooded land is Fuller Village, the retirement village that opened its doors about 10 years ago. Its vitality attests to its importance to the larger community.
Located at 1399 Blue Hill Ave., Fuller Village’s facilities nestle among the backdrop of the Blue Hills. The senior living community offers a variety of housing options for those wishing to remain in Milton for their retirement years. There are villas with attached one-car garages, and spacious apartments offering lavish amenities reminiscent of deluxe hotel living.
And according to Executive Director Deborah Felton, Fuller has a large number of active residents, some still working. Most have their own cars and come and go as they please. There are activities planned throughout the day, including water aerobics in the heated, indoor, 25-yard pool; tai chi classes; a bridge club; trips to various locations; lectures, often given by one of the many retired resident-educators; and computer classes. The facility also has a full-service restaurant, a café and a liquor license to serve drinks to residents and their guests.
“We have lots of activities, so if you want to be involved in things you can, but if not, we pretty much leave you alone,” Felton said.
Other amenities catering to the needs of older residents include one level living in all units; the ease of underground parking for units without private garage space; activities designed to include family members, such as hours for grandchildren to swim in the lavish pool; on-site religious services; daily meals; on-site assisted care services such as help with bathing and dressing, housekeeping, laundry, and transportation; emergency pull-cords in each unit; and home health care easily arranged with staff from the on-campus Bayada Nurses.
“We want people to stay here. The term we use is ‘aging in place,’” Felton said. “We want people to be able to age here and not think, ‘Oh, I can stay here for a limited period of time and then I have to think about going somewhere else.”
Recently, Fuller made a decision to expand its offerings to a younger crowd, offering another option for those looking to downsize at an earlier age.
“The age in the buildings was 65, but we just got a variance to lower the age to 55,” Felton said. “Our residents loved the idea of having younger people here. It’s an opportunity for people who are empty-nesters, to make the move earlier.”
Currently there is an immediate availability of units at Fuller, and the community will host an open house on Tuesday, June 30, from 3 to 7 p.m. There will be tours of the expansive campus – which winds from the main clubhouse area off Route 138 and houses a restaurant with a cozy atmosphere, a wood-paneled library and more – through the woods to the Brush Hill Road section, which houses a café, fitness center, impressive pool and other facilities.
Fuller Village is owned and operated by Milton Fuller Housing Corp., a private, nonprofit entity. There are over 320 units in the development, which runs on a “life-lease” program. Residents buy their unit for the amount of time they live there, paying a monthly maintenance fee that covers some utilities and all inside and outside maintenance. When new residents leave, if they have lived there for five years or more, they get 90 percent of their investment back. The amount is incrementally less if the time is less than five years. Before 2003, residents were able to sign contracts for 100 percent return, plus a small amount of interest. Prices range from around $225,000 to $455,000, with monthly fees, depending on the size of the unit. There are also some affordable units. There is a wait list, but with the current economy people are choosing to stay on the wait list.
“People are staying on the wait list, because they want to wait until the real estate market goes up,” Felton said, adding that senior communities everywhere have been impacted by the sluggish housing market. “We’ve always been very lucky because we have about a 1 percent vacancy rate.”
But she noted that there are some beautiful two-bedroom units available currently, so it is a unique opportunity.
Current residents are proud of their community, and care is evident in the upkeep of the properties. Most of the villas have decorative appointments gracing their porches, many proudly waving the American flag.
Longtime Milton resident Anne Shuman, who claims to be the first occupant of the Brush Hill section, her moving truck just beating fellow residents Betsy and Saul Buchbinders’, is happy with her decision.
“It’s wonderful, really. I never dreamt of anything like this,” she said, as she arrived home from a day of shopping. “What else do you want to know? I can’t stop raving about the place!”
It seems to be a common sentiment at Fuller, as there are plenty of smiling faces greeting visitors throughout the property.
Felton said while making a life-changing move is sometimes scary for some potential residents, Fuller is a warm and welcoming community.
“Sometimes I will meet a couple that maybe one of them is reluctant to make the move,” Felton said. “And I tell them, ‘You are giving a gift to your spouse, to make this move easier because you can do it together.’ Sometimes that helps with the transition.”
But one thing is clear. This little community inside a community is thriving, and it offers an option for seniors who still want to call Milton home.
For more information on Fuller Village, visit www.fullervillage.org or contact Deb Moreau, director of marketing/ administration, at (617) 361-7900.