In a recent online article posted onthe AAHSA (American Association of Homes and Services for the

Aging) website, author Greg Hadleyaddressed comments he and his wife got from skeptics after they moved to acontinuing care retirement community(CCRC): “How can you afford to live there?” “What did you do with all the lovely things in your home?”“Aren’t you giving up a lot of privacy?”“Well, it might be a good idea for you;perhaps we will give it some thought in the next few years.”And the list goes on. At Oak

Hammock, we’ve heard all thosearguments. And so have our members.But they, like Greg Hadley, respectfullydisagree with the naysayers – because, as they’ll eagerly tell you, moving here is one of the best decisions theyever made.

The Time Was RightJoan and Gordon Phelps visited a

number of CCRCs before choosing Oak Hammock. “It appealed to us from the start,” Joan says. “Becausewe’ve done so much traveling, we were looking for a place with peoplewho have similar interests and lots ofdiversity. We found that here. Plus, there

is so much to do! Gordon is a debater,so he joined a discussion group. I’m afreelance writer, so I look forward toworking on the newsletter. Plus, thereare many opportunities to keep ourminds and bodies fit, which is soimportant as we get older.”The couple still has a home in Cedar

Key, and their house in Gainesville is onthe market. But, they decided that thetime was right nonetheless. “Gordon hadhealth issues, so we had to start thinkingabout long-term care,” says Joan. “Thisis another chapter in our lives. Movinghere wasn’t necessarily an easy decision,but it was a very wise one.”

The Incentives Were Too Good to Pass UpKen Blanchard’s job with an

international engineering andconstruction firm took him all over the world – building bridges (literally) in the Far East, the Middle East andEurope. At 65, he retired and settled inTallahassee – but it wasn’t long beforehe did some serious soul searching aboutthe next phase of his life. “I becameaware of the disadvantages of growingolder by yourself in your own home,and I didn’t want to lose contact withthe outside world,” explains the formercivil engineer. “So I began researchingCCRCs and visited a number of themaround the state. Early on, it becameclear that Oak Hammock was ahead of the rest.”Even so, it took nearly five years

before Ken decided it was time. “Anapartment that suited my needs becameavailable – and there weren’t manyopenings,” he says. “From a financialstandpoint, the incentives were too goodto pass up. I knew in this market that Iwouldn’t get the price for my house thatI would have gotten a few years ago.But I was realistic about that. The onlyalternative would have been to put themove on hold and sit tight for several

years. Considering I’m 71, it was not tomy advantage to wait.”Now that he’s settled in, Ken feels

he made the right choice. “The membershere are friendly, highly educated andinteresting,” he says. “In the six monthsI’ve been here, I’ve made moreacquaintances than I did in the past 20 years!”

The Choice Was ClearLike Ken Blanchard, Francis and

Martha Woods had been consideringOak Hammock for about five years.They were onthe waiting listand attendedILR (Institutefor Learning inRetirement)classes to get toknow thecommunitybetter. They,too, researchedand visitedother CCRCs. “Over that

time, we simplyfell in love with this place,” they say.“We had planned to come this spring –but when we heard about the incentivesand compared the numbers ‘apples toapples,’ it was clear that we couldn’tafford to wait. So we put the house on the market, had it professionally‘staged’ to make it more appealing, sold it, moved here, got settled and thenleft on a trip to Morocco – all within six weeks!”Whew. But, even with the whirlwind

lifestyle transition, the Woods say thatOak Hammock is exceeding theirexpectations. “There’s so much to doand plenty of ways to exercise ourbodies and our minds,” they say. “We’re still in our ‘60s, so we can take advantage of it all. What a gooddecision this was. We just keep pinchingourselves.”

Inside2 Making Their Mark

3 Getting Involved, Giving Back

4 FAQs: Oak Hammock at the University of Florida

Lifelong Learning

Oak Hammock at theUniversity of Florida

5100 S.W. 25th Blvd.Gainesville, Florida 32608Tel: 352-548-1024(Toll-Free) 888-311-6483www.oakhammock.org

A Not-For-Profit Community

affiliated with the

University of Florida

Spring 2011

O a k H a m m o c k a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f F l o r i d a

Fran and Martha Woods

ChoicesChoices

Incentives, Upgrades: Even MORE Reasons to Move Now!

After Researching Financial and HealthCare Advantages, More and MorePeople Are Realizing the Wisdombehind the Continuing Care Concept

Oak Hammock Member Ken Blanchard

Making the “Oak Hammock”Decision

Joan and Gordon Phelps

ReasonsWhy Members ChooseOak Hammock

Top10The Phelps, the Woods

and Ken Blanchard havetraveled or lived all over theworld . . . and they could havesettled anywhere. But theymoved here – and here’s why:

If you’re considering moving to Oak Hammock, consider this: We are currently offering a 15% discount off the entire Entry Fee if paidin full within 30 days of qualifying for membership – and a 10% discount, if paid in 60 days. Plus, we’re offering a $5,000 upgrade

allowance for all residences. To find out how much you can save, call us at 352-548-1024 or toll-free: 888-311-6483.

‘‘

‘‘

1 The ability to make ourown decisions about the future

2 Financial and estate-planning advantages

3 The continuing careoption – independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and memory support, all under one roof

4Maintenance-free,“stressless,” living

5 “Fantastic” ILR classesand other lifelong learning opportunities

6 Outstanding FitnessCenter and wellness programs

7Wonderful, people-oriented staff

8 Superior, restaurant-style dining

9 Affiliation with theUniversity of Florida

10Friendly, intellectuallystimulating neighbors

A Woman of Distinction

On the list of “Who’s Who” among women in Gainesville, Vam York’s name is most

certainly among those at the top. The formerreal-estate executive, mother of two and wife of E.T. York, a member of Oak Hammock’soriginal board of directors, Vam is among thearea’s most recognized and honored citizens. She has served on most of the city’s high-profileboards, and the 210-seat theater that houses the Gainesville Community Playhouse bears her name.The former president of two family-owned

companies (Tralisa and Caret Corporations)that developed single-family neighborhoods,Vam has been honored with numerous accolades,including the University of Florida PresidentialMedallion. She was named an “Alachua CountyWoman of Distinction” and selected by the GirlScouts of America as one of the “Women WhoMake a Difference.” A former board member of the Gainesville

Home Builders Association for nearly 15 years,she currently serves on the boards of theUniversity of Florida Performing Arts and theGainesville Community Foundation, andbelongs to a number of other organizations.And with all that, she still has time to remainactive and involved at Oak Hammock.For a “take-charge multi-tasker” who

successfully managed family, career and civicresponsibilities, it stands to reason that Vam wasalso proactive in making decisions about herfuture. “Moving to Oak Hammock was one ofthe best choices we ever made and one of thebest gifts we ever gave our children,” she says.“We anticipated as we got older that we mightneed health care, but we didn’t expect we’d need it so quickly. Both my husband and I haveused the facilities here and they are superb. Lots of people came here for the same reasons,and we’ve just blended so well. We are all onebig family.”

Mann’s World: Empowering Women

From setting up elementary school libraries in Polk County at a time when none existed

to founding a statewide women’s network, Dr. Elizabeth Mann has always used her skillsand knowledge to help people find what they’researching for.

The Professor Emerita of Florida StateUniversity, former faculty member of the Schoolof Library and Information Studies and recipientof FSU’s “Commitment to Excellence” award,Dr. Mann began her storied professional careeras a Children’s Librarian for the Washington,D.C. public library system. From there, shewent on to become an elementary schoollibrarian in Gainesville, School LibrarySupervisor for both Hillsborough and Polkcounties, and president of multiple state libraryassociations. Published in numerous professionaljournals, she also co-authored the book The Twenty-First Century Technology’s Impacton Academic Research and Law Libraries.A passion for women’s rights led Dr. Mann

to organize the Capitol Women’s Network. (“I was tired of the ‘old boy’s network,’ so I decided to form an ‘old girl’s network,’” she says.) She also became active in theInternational Alliance for Women and theFlorida Women’s Alliance, where she wasinstrumental in getting women on public boardsand elected to office. “Accomplishing that wasone of my best times of my life,” she says.The mother of two and wife of the late

Bob Mann – a state legislator, appellate judgeand law professor – says she was able tobalance family, career and communitycommitments, thanks to the support of herhusband and children.

In 1989, Dr. Mann “retired” to TarponSprings, where she became chairman of thenewly created Pinellas County Public Library

Cooperative, president of the Pinellas CountyArts Council and chaired the North SuncoastAssociate of the Florida Orchestra. In 2006, she retired yet again – this time

moving to Oak Hammock and finding newopportunities for involvement. In Gainesville,she serves on the Advisory Board for theUniversity of Florida Performing Arts Center,the board of the Friends of the George A.Smathers Libraries and is a member of theGainesville Women’s Forum.“Living at Oak Hammock is secure and

stable – but it’s also fun,” says Dr. Mann. “I’m busy and involved. I swim every day. The programs here are wonderful, and beingwith people who are interesting and upbeat is good for you. When you carefully study your options, you’ll see that this is the very best thing you can do – emotionally, physicallyand financially. The longer you wait, you’ll end up waiting too long.”

Listening and Learning

A lifelong educator and former UF facultymember (teaching in the speak pathology/

audiology program), Peg Nattress spent hercareer making sure that the needs of childrenwere being heard. Literally. She was instrumental in starting Alachua

County’s first public school program forhearing-impaired students, providing analternative for kids as young as pre-school who otherwise would have had to attend aresidential facility. Peg also organized county-wide public school hearing screenings and similar programs for newborns at ShandsHospital. “Making sure that these types of programs

are available early on is critical,” says Peg. “It can change lives.”Even after Peg left the classroom, she

remained committed to education – servingeight years on the Alachua County SchoolBoard, including two years as chair. She alsospent 20 years on the district’s Foundationboard. For her efforts, she was named“Volunteer of the Year” by United Way, one of the “Women Who Make a Difference”by the Girl Scouts, and was also honored by the Florida Language, Speech and HearingAssociation.Peg and her husband John moved to

Oak Hammock in 2004, where she continues to be active, having served two years on theResidents Council, including one year aspresident. “The connection with UF certainlyinfluenced our decision,” she says. “But, one of the main reasons is that all of the levels of

As the nation celebrates National Women’s His tribute, too. . . acknowledging the members in o but who also have left lasting legacies in their Meet a few of these special “women who have

An advocate for women’s rights, Dr. Elizabeth Mannhelped set up school library systems.

Making Their M

Oak Hammock member Vam York, pictured infront of the Vam York Community Theaterbuilding at the Gainesville Community Playhouse.

health care are offered here, and that’s not thecase elsewhere in town. Before John passedaway in 2005, he needed skilled nursing, andthe care he got here was excellent. I found thatvery reassuring.”

A Pioneer in Her Field

While some people can describe their careers or professions in a single word –

like law or medicine or engineering – it’s notquite that simple for Dr. Elizabeth Wing. Her life’s work took a more multi-disciplinaryroute, encompassing fields like zooarcheology,ethnobiology, environmental archeology andpaleonutrition. Complicated stuff.“What I did was not traditional,” Dr. Wing

acknowledges. “So at the beginning, I had topersuade funding agencies to provide support. I was working on comparative anatomy, which is used to identify not only fragmentaryremains (pottery, stone tools, etc.) excavatedfrom archeological sites, but also plant, soil and animal remains. It was fascinating. At thesame time, I was raising two children andjuggling the responsibilities of family and career. My husband was a potter, so he was able to be at home. I occasionally took the kids with me when I was in the field or atconferences. It gave them a broaderunderstanding of the way people live in other parts of the world.”A former UF anthropology and zoology

professor, published author and now Curator

Emerita of Zooarcheology at the FloridaMuseum of Natural History, Dr. Wing isrecognized worldwide as a pioneer in her field – having received numerous professionalaccolades including the Fryxell Award forinterdisciplinary research from the Society for American Archaeology and the University of Florida Professorial Excellence ProgramAward. In 2006, she was inducted into theNational Academy of Sciences – an achievementconsidered one of the highest honors inAmerican science. “What pleased me most was that this indicates that the field ofenvironmental archaeology is recognized asbeing worthwhile,” she says.In 2007, Dr. Wing moved to Oak Hammock,

two years after losing her husband. “I was living on a farm with a bunch of sheep,” she says. “It was a beautiful place, but I justcouldn’t manage on my own. My son is in New Zealand, and my daughter lives nearPhiladelphia. With my kids so far away, I didn’twant to put pressure on them, so I knew it wastime to make a change.” As fate would have it, Dr. Wing met

Oak Hammock member Vam York at acommunity event, and they got to talking. “Vam invited me to lunch and showed mearound. I thought it was a nice place, so I signed up,” she recalls. “It just so happened that an apartment became available that was perfect for my needs. And here I am! Oak Hammock has met all my expectations. Even my dog loves it here.”

tory Month in March, Oak Hammock pays our midst who are not only leaders here,

professions and in the community at large. e made a difference.”

Mark

Zooarcheologist Dr. Elizabeth Wing is recognizedworldwide as a pioneer in her field.

The Art of VolunteerismWhen Susan Shafer retired as a Defense Department

Overseas Teacher – a career that had taken her toNewfoundland, Germany, Okinawa, the Azores and Spain– she was so happy to be home that she wanted to"give back to her new community" here in Gainesville. “I sought out volunteer opportunities,” she says. “I can’tgive millions of dollars, but I can give my time, and Ienjoy helping other people. I want to be involved.”

And get involved, she did – just about everywhere.As Docent Emeritus at the Harn Art Museum. As avolunteer at North Florida Regional Medical Center. As Director of the Gainesville Fine Arts Association. And at the Art League at Oak Hammock.

Also a Master Gardener, Susan and husband Willmaintain the Butterfly Garden at Oak Hammock. “It’s rewarding to know that what we created helps somany of our friends and neighbors,” she says. “Here atOak Hammock, the members are almost like family, andwe have a lot in common. A lot of my friends live alone,and I can only imagine how much more fun their lifewould be if they were here.”

Caring for KidsAfter moving from Denver to Gainesville with her

husband, Charles, who was the Dean of Liberal Arts andSciences at UF, Margi Sidman got involved in her newhometown by volunteering at church and at the RonaldMcDonald House,which providestemporaryhousing andsupport to familieswith critically illchildren who arebeing treated atarea hospitals. It was a natural fit for the motherof five – and aftertwo years, shewas offered the position ofexecutive director,a job she held for10 years. Duringher tenure, thefacility nearlydoubled in size and became the first Ronald McDonaldHouse in the nation to serve 10,000 families. “I felt like I really made a difference there,” she says. “We helped a lot of people.”

When her husband retired, Margi did, too – but sheadmits she “misses the hugs.” The couple moved to Oak Hammock primarily because of the community’saffiliation with UF. “Both of us had to care for ourparents, so we didn’t want to put our kids through that,” she says. “We know that there are no guaranteesin life – and odds are, we’ll have some medical needs in the future. At Oak Hammock, we no longer have toworry about it, and neither do our kids.”

Getting Involvedand Giving Back

Susan Shafer

Margi Sidman

Peg Nattress launched programs for hearing-impaired children.

Oak Hammock at theUniversity of Florida

5100 S.W. 25th Blvd.Gainesville, Florida 32608

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT 610JACKSONVILLE, FL

88174 PRAD SNL 3/2011

Oak Hammockat the Universityof FloridaFAQs:

You have questions about Oak Hammock.We have answers. Here are the ones wehear most often:

Q: What type of community is Oak Hammock?

A: A university-related Life FulfillingCommunity© (LFC) for adults ages 55 andolder, Oak Hammock has evolved from thecontinuing care retirement community(CCRC) concept into a more forward-thinking, advanced approach for the olderadult lifestyle. Oak Hammock provides farmore options and choices than its moretraditional counterpart and creates anenvironment for lifelong learning, optimumhealth and fitness, creativity and personalgrowth. In addition to an upscale lifestyleand an impressive range of amenities, thecommunity offers a comprehensive LifeCare program that significantly reduces thecosts of long-term care.

Q: Oak Hammock is sponsored by the University of Florida.What exactly does that mean?

A: While not owned by the University, OakHammock is fully integrated with UFthrough a series of affiliation agreementswith various colleges within the University.This means that our members have campusprivileges similar to those of Universityfaculty and alumni – including access tolibraries, athletic facilities and culturalactivities. They also have the opportunityto interact with, mentor and offer advice toUF students, many of whom work part-time for Oak Hammock or come here tocomplete their clinical internships, researchprojects or rotations.

Q: How does UF benefit bysponsoring Oak Hammock?

A: Benefits to the University include affiliationagreements with colleges and schools toprovide internships and direct fieldexperience for students, as well asexchange opportunities in the areas ofnursing, medicine, health and humanperformance, and many others. UFstudents are an integral part of thecommunity through coursework,employment and volunteer efforts.Examples of the University’s involvementin Oak Hammock life include: • The College of Health and Human Performance manages our 22,000-square-foot Fitness Center.

• The College of Dentistry operates our on-site dental suite.

• The College of Veterinary Medicine runs our on-site vet clinic.

• The College of Medicine operates our on-site Outpatient Primary Care Clinic.

Q: Do members have to be alumni of UF?

A: No, although Oak Hammock enjoys anumber of members who are affiliatedwith UF, we also have members from many other backgrounds and universityaffiliations.

Q: What types and sizes ofresidences are available at Oak Hammock?

A: Oak Hammock offers two types ofapartment residences: Atriums, which haveaccess to an open-air courtyard; andTraditionals, which open to an enclosedhallway. Both range in size from studios to3-bedroom/2-bath units. Oak Hammockalso offers free-standing Club Homes andVillas, which range from 2-bedroom,den/2-bath to 3-bedroom, den/2-bathhomes. Apartments include coveredparking for one car, while the homesfeature an attached two-car garage.

Interested inLifelongLearning?

Check Out the ILRWith classes that range from conversational Spanish to filmstudy, opera and art history – and provocative topics thatrun the gamut from global climate change to immigrationto European politics – there’s always something to learn atOak Hammock’s Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR).The Institute features study groups, guest speakers(including UF professors) and special events – all of whichare open to the public. Class schedules change quarterly,so please visit our website (www.oakhammock.org) forinformation about the spring session.

Call today to R.S.V.P. as space is limited:352-548-1024 or e-mail thilenski@oakhammock.org.

Please join us!Complimentary Lunch & Tour

Learn about our new contractoptions . . . and how you can save15% off the Entry Fee with our newincentive program. Plus, take a tourof our apartments, Villas and ClubHomes. We’re sure you’ll like whatyou see!!

Wednesday, March 23, 201111 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Oak Hammock at the University of Florida5100 S.W. 25th Blvd.

Gainesville, Florida 32608

The University of Florida is not responsible for the financial or contractual obligations of Oak Hammock at the University of Florida, Inc.