Letters from Jenn

I mean, what would we do without doctors? I think almost all of us have seen the invaluable impact doctors have in our lives. From running in to your primary doc to check on a cold or cough to the on-call surgeon saving the life of a loved one. These dedicated and caring folks are […]

Lets face it, there is a lot of hard work in a lifetime. Going to school, a career, raising a family, then helping with grandkids. It can be happy work, and if you’re lucky, much of it is. But it always seems like that rest and relaxation part is always over just one more hill. […]

Remember when you were young and something scary happened? Maybe it was a tornado, or a huge rainstorm, or a big windstorm. And always at night. Remember that? I know I do. And remember how you woke up and were scared? How can we forget? But what I also remember is that at times like […]

New Year’s Resolutions are timeless and charming for so many reasons. First of all, deep down, we know we’re not going to keep them…not most of them, or not for a whole year anyway. But we still make them, year after year, enthusiastically. Second, we probably saw our Mom or Dad make them, and who […]

I’d like to tell you about the beginning of our story…. It was July 2018. Ben and Mira Daniels had been working full time since 2015 to build The Willows. It was a big task, but they got the job done and were getting ready to open their doors in the next couple of months. […]

We are over the moon. For the fourth year in a row we have been awarded Best of the Best. This year we were lucky enough to win in all three categories of Best Assisted Living, Best Retirement Facility and Best Place to Work. Thank you so much! I want to send a huge thank […]

When I came to work at The Willows, I had big dreams. And when I got to know the family that built it, I found that was something we shared. We all wanted to create a community that put seniors first, that was beautiful, full of life and comfort, and excellence in care and service. […]

But somehow the playing field always seems to shift again, doesn’t it? The only constant that seems to stay is change. Take Marshalltown for example. Remember Skate Town? The Mall? Stones Restaurant? All those buildings taken out by the tornado and derecho? We dealt with those changes. They weren’t easy, but we’re Marshalltown Strong, so […]

Just kidding. You really should call me. Whether you are an adult senior, or the relative of an adult senior. I can help. Because I know what you’re going through. At most stages along the way we have had someone to teach us how to get through the next step in our life with the […]

I have two great kids, 11 year old Emerson and 16 year old Gabe. And sure, they are kids, just like we were once. They have their good days and their bad ones. But, one day at a time, I see patterns emerge in them that are familiar, inspiring, and ones I know I need […]

Senior Citizens and unconditional love. They go hand in hand. Unconditional love and Senior Citizens. Unconditional love means you love someone no matter what. The same way we love our children. No matter what, we love them. Meaning if they are less than perfect in their actions now and then, well, we love them anyway. […]

One thing I love is that people I don’t even know call me. Out of the blue. Just to talk. Can you believe that? No real agenda, they just want to get to know me… as a person, not as an executive trying to sell them something. And that’s how it should be with a […]

It took me years to find the right balance. But I did it. And now I get to provide this balance to residents of The Willows. Here is what I mean… …life is fragile, short. And that means we all should focus on the present moment, instead of the past or things we can’t change. […]

To me, cinnamon rolls are way more than just something to eat. They are something to love, something to savor. Cinnamon rolls stimulate our senses – smell, taste, touch and sight. But they are so much more than just that. They also give us a feeling of wonder, a feeling of memories of home, of […]

First off, I love that you take the time to read my words every few days. It means a lot to me. I love my job as Executive Director of The Willows and I truly hope it shows. Today I want to speak to you about memories – something we think a lot about as […]

Yet I see it happen all the time. Folks simply forget they own Long Term Care Insurance. And that is like discovering a pot of gold under your bed. Let me explain. Long Term Care Insurance policies are wonderful. They are basically savings accounts for seniors. When you pay the policy premium, funds are socked […]

My Mom did such a good job of making the house I grew up in feel like home. I don’t know how she did it exactly, but it was there. That homey feeling. And people tell me we have the same thing at The Willows. A homey feeling. It’s hard to put a finger on […]

And I see it happen way too often. I am talking about people losing out on their Long Term Care insurance policy benefits. And that’s like throwing money away. Let me explain. Long Term Care insurance policies are wonderful. They are basically savings accounts for seniors. When you pay the policy premium, funds are socked […]

When we are kids, we believe that holidays are just for us. Special food, fun, presents, family visits from far and wide – and pretty much all of it is focused on us kids. We are the stars of the show, and it seems like it will go on forever. Then, of course, come a […]

Many, many seniors are military veterans. And to them we give the highest honor on this special day. Working here at The Willows, I like to think of all seniors as Life Veterans. And remember, life lasts a lifetime. From the moment we’re born all the way to our cherished elder years. So on this […]

And every bit of it makes your heart melt. You learn that age is not catching – working with seniors does not hasten your own ageing. You learn that seniors have the same inner spark of youth that we still feel. They may use a walker, they may move slowly, they may have a health […]

Many of the happiest and most contented residents at the Willows were not keen on the idea of Assisted Living when they first heard of it. After all, who wants to move from a home filled with wonderful memories? Especially since Mom and Dad have seen themselves living in the family home forever. But as […]

I just read an article in a Senior Living publication about how older Americans are feeling less important, even “expendable” from the coronavirus pandemic. This stopped me in my tracks. Can you imagine that? Our seniors feeling this way, when life is already so uncertain? Our very Moms and Dads who raised us, sacrificed for […]

Hi, I’m Jennifer Stanley. If you or anyone in your family is of retirement age I have an invitation for you. You see, I am a retirement insider. Retirement is my job and my life. I can answer your questions, correct your misconceptions, and show you all the overlooked advantages to good retirement living at […]