“No Worries” – Seniors at Evergreen Court

Elsie Murley is quite the legend at Christian Health (CHCC). At 92, Mrs. Murley is the last of the original residents of Evergreen Court, an apartment complex for independent seniors on the Center’s Wyckoff campus.

“I was blessed to move to Evergreen Court,” she says. “There are no worries, no concerns. Everything is done for us.”

Mrs. Murley and her neighbors enjoy independence and community connection at Evergreen Court. More than half of the 40 apartments are designated as affordable housing with rent based on income; the remainder are based on fair market value. Common areas for socializing, activities, entertainment, and more include a dining room; penthouse with a television, library, and exercise equipment; porch/patio area for outside activities; laundry facilities on each floor; and attic storage area. They have the total package!

In 1995, after she retired and her husband had passed away, Mrs. Murley decided that it was time to sell her house. Her son Barry encouraged her to apply for an apartment at the soon-to-open Evergreen Court.

“As a local resident and a member of Hawthorne Gospel Church, I was familiar with Christian Health,” Mrs. Murley says. “Some of us came to the Center to volunteer.”

Life at Evergreen Court proved to be an easy transition.

“I have made great friends here,” say Mrs. Murley, who lists shopping, reading, and doing word puzzles as her hobbies. “My original friends are gone, but I have lots of new friends who are just as nice and wonderful.”

Earlier this year, Mrs. Murley took advantage of a major benefit of living at Evergreen Court: access to CHCC’s continuum of care. Following a fall and hospitalization for a fractured knee, Mrs. Murley became a short-term rehab patient on The David F. Bolger Post-acute Care Unit (PACU). Here, rehabilitation took place in the new 14,000-square-foot Bolger Gym & Wellness Center, which features the state-of-the Transitional Care Suite for occupational therapy.

“It was a minor fracture, but I still needed rehab to build my strength,” she explains. “Since I was here, my friends from Evergreen Court could easily visit me.”

Following discharge, her physical therapy transitioned on an outpatient basis to the Wellness Center at The Longview Assisted Living Residence.

In addition to Evergreen Court, Christian Health also offers independent-senior living at Siena Village of Wayne. With 250 units, Siena Village offers one- and two-bedroom low-income, moderate-income, and market-rate apartments. An jam-packed activity calendar appeals to a broad range of interests. Common areas include a community room with a large-screen TV, pool table, and areas to just socialize, a well-stocked library bocce ball court; fitness room, beauty salon and barber shop, and laundry room. I don’t know about you but they had me at “large-screen TV.”