CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Friday, August 5 was a big day for the residents of Highland Oaks at Water Run as they moved into their beautiful new home in Clarion.

Faith O’Brien, the Director of Highland Oaks for WRC Senior Services, coordinated the monumental task of moving dozens of people and their belongings to the personal care home.

“We had a great team of staff at our old place in Shippenville and a team at our new home as well as several volunteers from the WRC family to help with the move,” O’Brien said. “When our residents arrived, they each were greeted by their own personal concierge who helped them unpack and get settled into their own room.”

Also, in the next few weeks, several people who had made priority reservations for the new building will also begin moving in. The suites inside Highland Oaks at Water Run are one- or two-bedroom.

There is one two-bedroom suite still available and several one-bedroom suites are still available.

Dawn Hartman, WRC Senior Services Director of Marketing and Communications, explained the history of the previous home and some of the new features at the Clarion facility.

“In our original facility in Shippenville, we opened it in the 1980s and the building was older than that. The rooms were smaller and they had to share bathrooms, which is something people don’t want to do, so our new home is much better equipped to meet the needs of our residents.

“In our decision to move to the new building, we weighed the options of remodeling the old building but to get it up to the type of accommodations that people are looking for today in personal care, it just made more sense to build entirely new.

“Also we picked Clarion as the new location for the building because it’s more centrally located and very close to the hospital, doctors, the soon-to-be constructed new YMCA and other service providers in the area,” Hartman said.

The search for property began in 2010 and it all came to fruition last week.

Hartman explained there is a full-time chef, which has led to expanded dining and a bistro cafe will open soon that will cater to visitors, family members and to residents who will live in the Villas at Water Run, which are residential houses for seniors.

“The Villas are our individual houses, six of which are currently being built in the first phase,” O’Brien said. “There are four different floor plans people can choose from with a variety of add-on options like a sunroom, finished basement and fireplaces. There are two- and three-bedroom models. We are also taking priority reservations for the next phase of construction.”

O’Brien said the goal is to have Villa residents moved in before Christmas. She also said there is space for up to 30.

“As the demand grows, we will build more,” O’Brien said.

Hartman detailed some of the expanded features of the new facility.

“There are areas for walking outside, which some of the residents have already been out enjoying, there is a lounge and other special areas to get together. The plans are designed to  keep residents out of their rooms and active,” Hartman said.

Also, there are beauty and barber services as well as a spa where residents can get a pedicure and a massage.

Highland Oaks is a licensed personal care community. Residents in personal care are fairly independent but need some assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing and grooming.

Staff also manage all medications, and a licensed nurse supervises the care keeping a close eye on the resident’s health and wellness. All meals and snacks are provided, and a robust recreational program helps residents get involved in different activities they enjoy and provides opportunities for social interaction.

For more than a century, WRC has provided senior services to the residents of Clarion, Jefferson and Elk counties.

Their story begins in 1883 when the Woman’s Relief Corp formed as a volunteer auxiliary to care for disabled Civil War veterans, widows and orphans of the war.

At their annual meeting in Erie, Pa. in 1889, former army nurse Kate Scott proposed that a rest home be opened in Brookville for this purpose. The first community of WRC Senior Services opened the following year.

Since that time, WRC Senior Services has grown to be an integrated family of services, offering skilled and rehabilitative care, residential living, personal care, and home and community-based services at locations in Jefferson, Clarion and Elk counties.

WRC Senior Services has the “not-for-profit” difference, which means our world revolves around you, not around the bottom line.

Stop by any of our communities and discover why our residents and their families say “A WRC Senior Services community is the best place to live!”

For more information, go to wrc.org or call 814-849-1205.

Resident Jeanie Wagner talks about her new home at Highland Oaks at Water Run.