A good deed on behalf of a friend resulted in a life shift for a former Burlington couple, and they wouldn't have it any other way.
Joyce and John Wauters were visiting Halcyon House, a WesleyLife community for healthy living in Washington, Iowa, to check out the campus's short-term rehabilitation offerings for a friend who had been injured. They came away not as sure as they had been about their plans to downsize to a condo.
"We had been trying to figure out where we wanted to go and when we wanted to go there, and Halcyon House — although we were aware of it — hadn't been on our list," Joyce says.
"What brought it to the top of the list, probably by the time we had gotten back home that day, was that the team members there were just so gracious. We didn't even have an appointment, and Penny (administrative assistant) and Alisha (director of sales and marketing) dropped everything to make us their priority."
Not just a pretty campus
Joyce says in addition to the kindness, thoroughness, and helpfulness of the team, her primary attraction was to the campus's beautiful landscaping. But she and John agreed on another point that would prove critical long before the couple could have expected.
"We asked each other, 'What would happen if our health changed and we had to go somewhere for care?'" John recalls. "Independent living somewhere on its own couldn't offer that. A condo sure wouldn't offer that. The fact that Halcyon had all these care levels was a big selling point."
In late 2024, they realized just how big. Having decided in early 2024 that Halcyon House was the place for them, John and Joyce sold their home (in a day!) in March of that year and moved into their Halcyon apartment in June. Just weeks later, John injured his back and ended up undergoing spinal surgery in September, then rehabilitating in Halcyon House's health center.
Support system
"The care he received there in rehabilitation and the in-home care in our apartment after he came back made me realize that I think someone had guided us in making the decision to come here," Joyce says. "When he was in rehab, I was under the same roof and could see him anytime without leaving this campus. That made the process so much easier emotionally."
John agrees, adding that even though moving is never without its bumps in the road, the team at Halcyon House did everything possible to ease each step, from renovating the couple's beautiful independent living apartment to connecting them with other residents with similar interests. Both Joyce and John take part in exercise classes, and John enjoys a men's coffee group that meets on Tuesdays.
"Initially, I missed the contact I had had with my friends, but the people here helped me find opportunities to build new relationships," John says. "Joyce is helping with the library — and no one has to shovel snow or worry about the lawn. I feel this is what we should be doing; being here is a great way to stay engaged and active."
Joyce sums up her feelings about her new home with a gentle laugh: "Everyone has been so welcoming, and it's such a beautiful place; I can see why people perhaps wonder why they didn't move in sooner.
"Sometimes I tell John, 'I feel like we're living in a Hallmark movie!'"
The team at Halcyon House — and John and Joyce! — would love to welcome you. Learn more or schedule your private tour today!
