Hubby Barry and I have been Early Advantage participants at Carolina Meadows for about a year. For folks unacquainted with this term, it means that we have signaled our intention to move into Carolina Meadows by paying an entrance fee which will go towards the villa or apartment we eventually will occupy. EA means that we can access all the facilities on campus and have access to Carolina Meadows many programs. We are very happy with that designation and all it offers. We live in Cary, at the outer edge of the Early Advantage parameters, which makes our travel time to campus around 30 minutes. We don’t do it every day; thus it is not odious. However, coming to Carolina Meadows on a regular basis has given us the opportunity to meet many wonderful residents, as well as other Early Advantage people. We participate in committees, various events and even help with Precinct responsibilities.

Since it will probably be a few years before we move on campus, this has been a fabulous way to become part of the community even if we don’t live here. We swim, exercise, attend programs and special events and peruse the library regularly. Over the holidays we enjoyed the Nutcracker tea, Menorah lighting and Chanukah dinner. In addition, we know we have access to the health facilities if we decide we would like to use them. That is a comforting plus.

Our feeling has always been that we want to age with a community. We have experienced too many examples of friends and family who wait so long to make a decision about their later years that they are either “five minutes too late,” in terms of entering a community as independent persons, or decide that they cannot move to a place with people they feel are old, thus missing the reality of their own ever advancing years. Having a sense of community as one ages is a comforting feeling and one that we are enjoying as Early Advantage members of Carolina Meadows.