There's No Place Like Home

Pickersgill Retirement Community

Nursing is Cherrie Fleagle’s life. The Pickersgill Retirement Community Director of Assisted Living Resident Services has spent 42 years in the field, and spends days at Pickersgill connecting with family members, talking with residents, and making rounds at area hospitals where residents are admitted for acute care.

Fleagle is always on call. There is always a charge nurse on duty. And she always knows that residents at Pickersgill are getting the greatest care possible.

“The best compliment comes when I go and see residents at the hospital, and the first thing they say to me is, ‘I want to go home.’ And ‘home’ for them is Pickersgill—that’s the atmosphere we work so hard to create for them,” Fleagle said.

From the outside, Pickersgill may look like a large building, but it’s really a small, close-knit community. Residents are always enjoying the company of other residents and staff. Employees walk through the hallways with smiles on their faces. Caregivers alert nurses the instant they have concerns about a resident. And activities for assisted living residents abound—everything from moderate exercise classes to games to visits from local community organizations. Everyone stays busy and happy.

“When we get a new staff member, the first thing I say to them is, ‘You are working in the resident’s home. The residents are not living where you work.’ If they understand that, they will be giving residents the respect and dignity they deserve, and we are living up to our end of the bargain,” she said.

Because Pickersgill is a continuing care retirement community, its assisted living residents have the advantage of having skilled nursing under one roof should they need more help.

“It’s a big advantage, and it’s really what sets us apart—that and the caring attitude of our staff,” Fleagle said.

Pickersgill Retirement Community is a nonprofit retirement community nestled among dogwoods on a beautiful campus in Towson, Md. Pickersgill has a tradition of excellence, and a rich history. Founded, and named after former board member Mary Pickersgill—the seamstress who inspired “The Star Spangled Banner” with her flag that waved over Fort McHenry—Pickersgill is the rare community that can claim it has dutifully served generations of seniors in the Baltimore area for more than 200 years. To find out more about our community, check out our website, find us on Facebook, or give us a call at 410-825-7423.

Pickersgill Retirement Community Earns Top SeniorAdvisor.com Award

Pictured (left to right): Jim Strom, senior director of marketing and development; Brant Hart, executive director; Janice Harris, admissions director; Tammy Bocchino, admissions assistant, and Molly Mattoon, senior living advisor for A Place For Mom.

By Brant C. Hart, Pickersgill Retirement Community executive director

Pickersgill Retirement Community has always been proud to serve its residents with great care and the utmost attention, which is why it is a real pleasure to announce that our Towson, Md., community has been ranked as one of the top communities for 2013 on SeniorAdvisor.com, the premier online ratings and reviews site for senior living communities nationwide.

The SeniorAdvisor 2013 Excellence Award recognizes senior living communities that receive consistently high ratings and positive reviews from residents, families and visitors, and it’s an award that is given to less than one percent of communities nationwide.

Our staff at Pickersgill are always a bragging point for me. I consistently receive comments from visitors about how friendly and welcoming our employees are to visitors, residents and family members who walk through our doors, and walk through our corridors. A smiling face is part of the uniform at Pickersgill, and I am happy that the visitors to our community recognized our employees through reviews posted to SeniorAdvisor.com and A Place for Mom.

Another area of particular pride for me is our responsiveness, which was also highlighted in reviews about our community. When someone asks us for information, we give it to them. If they want background on our community, it’s in the mail. We want visitors to our community to not only leave with a smile on their face, but with an understanding of what we can do for them and their family members.

If an interested senior or relative is able to make it to Pickersgill for a tour, we are confident that the community sells itself.  It makes you feel very proud when people leave our doors and report having a positive experience.

According to SeniorAdvisor.com, recent research indicates that nearly 90 percent of consumers “sometimes or always” consult reviews before making the decision to move into a senior living community, so these reviews—and this award—help give Pickersgill a competitive edge.

If you’re interested in reading our reviews, or adding one of your own, check out this link to SeniorAdvisor.com to add your thoughts, and feel free to give us a call with any questions.

Pickersgill Retirement Community is a nonprofit retirement community nestled among dogwoods on a beautiful campus in Towson, Md. Pickersgill has a tradition of excellence, and a rich history. Founded, and named after former board member Mary Pickersgill—the seamstress who inspired “The Star Spangled Banner” with her flag that waved over Fort McHenry—Pickersgill is the rare community that can claim it has dutifully served generations of seniors in the Baltimore area for more than 200 years. To find out more about our community, check out our website, find us on Facebook, or give us a call at 410-825-7423.