Riderwood Couple ‘make the best use of their lives’ by Moving to the Erickson Senior Living Community Sooner than Later

Silver Spring, MD -- Moving to Riderwood  was one of the best decisions Melissa and Paul Pumphrey have ever made. The only thing that topped it was moving sooner rather than later—while they're young, active, and able to take advantage of all the popular Erickson Living community in Silver Spring, MD, has to offer.

"There's a tremendous amount of advantages to moving while you're still active and independent—special trips, social activities,  a softball team. A lot of people wait too long," Mr. Pumphrey says. "There's no reason to stay in a house you have to take care of. At Riderwood, you can live the fullness of your life."

To help them with their decision to move, they asked themselves a vital question: "How can we best use our lives?"

After caring for her mother until age 100, the couple knew they valued socialization in the answer to that question.

"When people are living by themselves, they are isolated. They don't have a good, balanced diet. They don't have interaction. Here, you can walk to a restaurant and have a good, wholesome meal with friends every day," Mr. Pumphrey says.

When they discovered Riderwood nearly ten years ago, they knew they would get that and so much more. They value its worry-free lifestyle and the peace of mind it affords them and their children. "All our fundamental needs are here, and that helps us address anything we'll need. We have a support system for the future should our health change."

As he prepares for a trip to Haiti, where he'll work with a group of small farmers to increase chicken egg production in an effort to aid the country's economy, he says living at Riderwood enables him to do such charitable work. He can travel without worrying about the house or his wife's safety. He doesn't have to mow the grass or, in winter, shovel snow. That's all included in the couple's monthly service package, which covers most daily living expenses like utilities, amenities, property taxes, meal plans, trash and recycling collection at their door, 24/7 security and maintenance, and landscaping.

"I was more than happy to give my son my riding mower, my snow blower, and my gardening tools when we moved," he laughs, adding that he still gardens in Riderwood's community gardens located on campus. "But we have shared, community tools, so I didn't need to bring my own and store them."

Aside from gardening and traveling, he's active with the African American History Club and the campus TV studio.

Sales Director George Mishraky says the Pomphrey's are excellent examples of people who truly embrace the lifestyle at Riderwood.

"They moved in with the idea of living a more worry-free, active life, and they're able to do that here," he says.

"People should move to Riderwood as soon as they can. You won't be bored, and you won't be frustrated because everything you need is here. I can walk to my bank, my convenience store, restaurants, the pool, and activities. All these things are super pluses," Mr. Pumphrey says. "It makes common sense to live at Riderwood."

Photo: Paul Pumphrey, host of a show on Riderwood TV, in the Riderwood TV studio.  (Photo Credit:  Avedis Aghguiguian)

About Riderwood: Riderwood, one of 19 continuing care retirement communities managed by Erickson Living^®, is situated on a scenic 120-acre campus in Silver Spring, Maryland. The community is located in Montgomery County and is home to more than 2,500 residents. Additional information about Riderwood can be found at RiderwoodCommunity.com.