St. Joseph’s John Knox Village — An Exciting Retirement Community!

By Anu Varna Panchal

Hot air ballooning or flea marketing? The art of Salvador Dali or the music of Verdi? Tai chi or Wii golf; wine etiquette or geopolitics; Bible study, yoga, movies or a night of watching a blues band perform?  With a plethora of activities, excursions and on-site amenities, the biggest problem facing the residents of St. Joseph’s John Knox Village on E. Fletcher Ave. in Tampa (less than five minutes from Tampa Palms) may be choosing from among the continuing care retirement community’s many entertainment options.

“We didn’t come here to fold away in our rooms,” says 83-year-old John Knox resident Carolyn Antonini, elegant in cream and cerulean blue and on her way to a tea party with a pile of activity schedules to share with new residents.

In the past, Carolyn says she and her husband had often driven past the John Knox campus (which, at 43 years, is a veteran in the industry on Tampa’s north side) musing half-seriously about living there one day. When her husband died after 57 happy years of marriage, Carolyn’s children wanted her to move in with one of them, but she decided instead to investigate her options. She says she visited John Knox twice before she decided: “This is it.”

“It’s been four years this past May,” says Carolyn, “and I’m so grateful. If I had stayed in my home, I would never have had all the wonderful activities I have here. [Being here] has encouraged me to grow in all areas — spiritually, friendship, food and entertainment.”

“They all have a story to tell,” says Sandy Ross, a senior living counselor at John Knox. “They’ve all had such interesting lives. They’re an extension of our own families.”

The 14-acre complex, which is part of the St. Joseph’s & BayCare Health System, is home to 350 residents ages 62–106. These residents are provided everything from independent living to skilled nursing care. Residents can choose from 16 floor plans of studio and one- and two-bedroom apartments with fully-equipped kitchens and optional custom construction services (such as knocking down a wall to make more space, if needed).

Higher-functioning residents needing assisted living and memory support have a choice of studio and one-bedroom apartments at The Vineyards.

Meanwhile, those who need full-time skilled nursing care can live in the Med Center, which offers 24-hour nursing care in private and semi-private rooms, as well as a gym and physical therapy area. A specialized, secure living unit also has been designed for residents living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. 

Also impressive is the fact that the apartments are renovated and updated whenever a resident moves out, and the entire complex got a recent freshening.

A variety of payment options are available, from renting to “buying in,” which means the resident pays an Entrance Fee to guarantee that they will have a place to live no matter what level of care they may need in the future. The cost of being a resident at John Knox includes all meals, all utilities (except phone and internet, which are billed to residents), a flat laundry rate, transportation (to doctors, shopping and activities), 24-hour security and even pharmacy delivery. 

Amenities in the center include an arts & crafts room, Olympic-sized heated pool, Jacuzzi, fitness center, shuffleboard court, 9-hole putting green, bocce ball court, game room, two libraries, a theater room, woodworking shop and computer lab with free internet. Residents also can attend Osher Lifelong Learning Institute classes in collaboration with University of South Florida; this summer’s course offerings include Geopolitics Today, Life Story Writing I and Wine Etiquette. 

Also onsite are banking services, convenience stores, a beauty and barber shop with manicure and pedicure services, a gift boutique and even religious services. The facility’s event calendar is packed with events from morning prayer to Tuesday night live blues music, movies and parties.

Available on a fee-for-service basis are an on-site medical clinic, weekly onsite physician’s appointments, physical, occupational and speech therapy and private home health care services.

Amenities aside, residents say that what keeps them the happiest here is the friendly and helpful nature of the people. Staff members — such as Ross and marketing assistant Britta (7- and 21-year employees of the facility, respectively) — greet residents with first-name familiarity, although there are 420 employees serving the 350 residents.

“The staff could not be more understanding, warm, responsive and respectful,” says Nancy Neher, a retired Hillsborough County School District music teacher and John Knox resident. “Everyone makes us feel like we are very important to them.”

Nancy and her wife, Anne Connors, are active 73-year-old retirees who decided to make the move to a place which would serve all of their needs for the foreseeable future without giving their families any worry. The two say they investigated their options thoroughly before picking John Knox for its welcoming environment, friendly people and beautiful grounds. Although they have only been residents for two years, they have quickly made their mark — participating in activities, exercising, playing ping-pong and shuffleboard and walking every morning —and inspiring others to join them.

“We don’t mess around,” quips Anne, who is on the residents’ board, where Nancy is the grounds committee chair. They volunteer at the John Knox thrift store, but also continue living their “former” life — meeting friends for lunch, volunteering and traveling. The difference, they joke, is that they now have a larger circle of friends and acquaintances, and no longer have to mow their lawns, find a good roofer, or — best of all — clean their own toilets any more.

“Life is what you make it,” Anne says. “You can be old at 40 and young at heart in your 70s and 80s, having fun. It’s all about attitude.”

The two are off on a trip to Niagara Falls soon, and they  say that another advantage is that they don’t have to worry when they go away because of the 24-hour security onsite at John Knox. 

“The security here is really good,” agrees Carolyn. “I just go to bed and I’m not the least bit concerned. That’s a comfort in and of itself.”

For employees like Britta and Ross, the place is almost as much home as it is for the residents. Britta says she started working in food service at John Knox 21 years ago, and moved through several departments before ending up in marketing, where she gets to meet new guests and introduce them to their potential new homes.

“It’s wonderful,” she says. “Seeing the residents through from moving in, being able to help them with anything — our residents make us who we are.”

For more information about St. Joseph’s John Knox Village (4100 E. Fletcher Ave. in Tampa), call 977-6361 or (800) 272-KNOX, or visit  StJosephs JohnKnox.org. Or, see the ad on pg. 20.