The Priority List: A Fun and Risk-Free Way to Explore Retirement Living at Oak Crest

People tend to equate retirement planning with financial planning. While having the financial resources to maintain a good lifestyle is critically important, there is much more to successful retirement planning than just having money in the bank. 

A good retirement plan should also include an assessment of your goals and interests. How do you envision your retirement lifestyle? Where will you live?

Studies show that a retirement lifestyle that includes community engagement, strong social ties, and physical activity contributes to greater happiness and better overall health and resilience. 

The right community can enhance your lifestyle, so it’s important to explore your options.

Erickson Senior Living, a nationally recognized leader in continuing care retirement communities, gives prospective residents a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the active, worry-free lifestyle through each community’s priority list program. 

Join the list

Priority list members experience the community’s lifestyle at their own pace and on their own schedule. 

“Joining the priority list is an opportunity to enjoy and engage with the community, which regular visitors don’t get to do,” says Sharon Baksa, a director at Erickson Senior Living. “This is like a club that entitles you to privileges. Members enjoy dining in our restaurants, attending special events, and getting to know the staff and residents. We celebrate the fact that you are a priority list member, and you are entitled to the privileges afforded to members of the club.” 

Priority list privileges 

Priority list members can reserve a specific apartment home design before members of the public. For anyone who has a strong preference for a particular model, an early spot on the list can make all the difference.

Oak Crest Sales Director Dan Plakatoris says there are a variety of benefits to becoming a priority list member, including advance notice of special savings, right of first refusal when an apartment home becomes available, and transfer of membership to any other Erickson Senior Living community. 

“Priority list members get invited to special members-only events like barbecues, open houses, and panel discussions with real estate agents. You’ll receive access to specialists at Oak Crest, such as senior move managers, health and wellness specialists, and financial experts. And you’ll have your own personal moving consultant, Ashley Ruth. She’ll visit your current residence to start a plan with you, to help you downsize, list your property, move, and much more.”

Resident Keith Derrickson first visited Oak Crest in 2009 for an open house. “I looked at everything and thought to myself, ‘Why would I move into a condo—why wouldn’t I just move here?’ But I wasn’t old enough then—I was only 52. So, I got on the priority list. I turned 60 in 2017 and moved in two months later,” he recalls. 

Keith says that while he was on the priority list, he attended a lot of events, making sure to tour the individual apartment homes. “That’s where I learned so much,” he says. “I got to see how people placed their furniture and decorated. Because I joined the priority list early, I had plenty of time to plan my move, and that gave me the opportunity to decide what would work best for me.” 

Expert advice

Another exclusive benefit of joining the priority list is access to the Erickson Realty and Moving Services program. 

From recommending a trusted real estate agent to sell your current home to advice on decorating your new apartment, Erickson Realty and Moving Services staff help priority list members have a stress-free move every step of the way. 

“People sometimes think the Erickson Realty and Moving Services program is only for people who are about to move, but priority list members are not necessarily ready to move immediately. They may be waiting for a specific apartment home design that we don’t have available yet or they may be just waiting for when the time is right for them to move,” says Baksa. “People who join the priority list should know that we can help them with whatever challenges they’re faced with as they start to think about transitioning from a house to an apartment home.”

Live the Life

Priority list members also have a unique opportunity to “test-drive” retirement living through Oak Crest’s Live the Life program. 

“Live the Life is a complimentary overnight experience customized for each priority list member,” says Brian Hance, a senior director at Erickson Senior Living. “We tailor each itinerary to the interests of the priority list member, to provide a closer look at the amenities of the community. Those who are interested in the cuisine will want to experience a few of the restaurants, others want to try a fitness center class. It’s a chance to get to know the layout, talk with residents, and spend time in an apartment home.” 

Your journey begins with a $1,000 priority list deposit, which is applied to the apartment home you choose or fully refundable should you decide to change your priority status, and a nonrefundable $150 application fee per person.

Joining the priority list is a commitment-free and financially sound way for prospective residents to see for themselves the benefits and amenities that come with living at Oak Crest.

The first step to enjoying maintenance-free retirement living at Oak Crest is to request a brochure.