We are proud to introduce our new Executive Director, April Mayberry. Having served as The Village at Brookwood’s Licensed Nursing Home Administrator since 2018, April is a familiar face to our residents and their loved ones. On August 22, April took the helm of our community, and we’re excited about what the future holds under her leadership. She also will continue as our Licensed Nursing Home Administrator.
I grew up in Burnsville, N.C., on a Christmas tree farm. I received a Bachelor of Science in Recreational Therapy from Western Carolina University. I am married and have two beautiful children – Jude (4) and Nora (1) – and we live in Greensboro in the historic Sunset Hills neighborhood.
Prior to joining our parent organization, The Well-Spring Group, I worked in the for-profit world with Genesis Healthcare as a Nursing Home Administrator and in various other roles for 20 years.
My experiences with my grandparents are what solidified my interest in and shaped my career path. I love hearing the stories and the life experiences of older adults. They have so much to offer us if we just listen and observe.
How is The Village at Brookwood different from other senior living communities?
The culture and family-like atmosphere – everyone is so friendly and welcoming at our community! My fellow team members and residents feel like extended family. In the forprofit world, the focus is on the resident
census and revenue. It is a breath of fresh air to serve at a place that is focused on people and culture and provides the best experience and best quality of care to older adults.
To become a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, you must submit your application to and be approved by the N.C. Long-Term Care Nursing Home Board. Once approved, you complete lecture classes, an Administrator In Training (AIT) program, which is typically a 24- to 50- week internship at a skilled nursing facility under the direction of a licensed administrator, and submit weekly and monthly reports to the board. In addition, all applicants for licensure as a Nursing Home Administrator must pass the National and State Boards.
This year, The Village at Brookwood received a Zero Deficiency Rating. What is that, and why does it matter?
Our Health Care unit is regulated by the Division of Health Services Regulations (DHSR) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). With that comes annual recertification surveys to review systems and processes;
interview staff and residents; observe nurses completing medication passes and resident care; review of infection control practices and protocols; and a number of other operational components.
Attaining a perfect score – zero deficiencies – on an annual survey is one of the highest accomplishments that all administrators and skilled facilities strive for. Skilled nursing facilities that are certified with Medicare or Medicaid are also part of a 5-star rating system designed to give seniors and their families a clear picture of a community’s quality. The result of a facility’s survey is averaged into the overall 5-star rating. Because The Village at Brookwood received zero deficiencies, we maintain our overall 5-star rating.
Finally, are you excited about your new role?
Yes, I am! As I said, The Village at Brookwood is wonderful. This summer, The Well-Spring Group, which had managed The Village at Brookwood for several years, acquired this community. Well-Spring has many aspirational plans for Our community, and I look forward to helping lead us to those future accomplishments. It’s a thrilling time to be the Executive Director here!
What path did you take to get to Burlington and The Village at Brookwood?
Research shows that improving meal options and encouraging social interaction while dining can lead to improved quality of life scores among older adults. According to Anthony Ricciuti, Director of Dining at The Village at Brookwood, “Our Dining Services team has worked throughout the year to enhance residents’ dining experiences. Food is central to well being, socialization and overall life satisfaction, which is why we are pleased to announce these changes.”
The Tavern now serves a selection of pizza, burgers, starters, baskets and weekly sandwich specials, with dine-in service available Monday through Friday from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.
With the help of the dining committee, The Village at Brookwood will be updating its Cafe menu more frequently. New and fresh recipes will be offered, and residents are encouraged to present their ideas for menu items and favorite recipes. Week-at-aGlance menus are also available to help residents plan meals in advance.
Garden Home residents can now take advantage of a free, roundtrip dinner shuttle service for both Edith Street Café and Lakeside Dining. In addition, The Village at Brookwood has changed its meal delivery option to provide the equivalent of one free meal delivery per month.
We are so excited to welcome the following people who have chosen to make The Village at Brookwood their new home. Each new resident brings unique stories, personalities and talents to our campus, and we are grateful to have them as a part of our growing community!
Jim & Beth Barba Mebane, NC
Clyde & Linda Gordon Burlington, NC
Bill & Paulette Griffith Elon, NC
George & Brenda Grubisic Glendale, WI
Arlene Hole Burlington, NC
Allison Spransy Chapel Hill, NC
David & Sally Sutherland Burlington, NC
Barbara Thornton Chapel Hill, NC
Eleanor Tulloch Elon, NC
As Walt Disney famously noted, “Progress is impossible without change,” and The Village at Brookwood is pleased to announce our footprint is changing with the construction of 21 new, top-of-the-line Garden Homes.
“Our community currently consists of 110 apartments in a five-story building and 45 one-story garden homes,” explained April Mayberry, Executive Director at The Village at Brookwood. “The addition of 21 garden homes is nearly a 50-percent increase in the number of free-standing homes at the community.”
Betsy Huneycutt, Director of Sales at The Village at Brookwood, says pre-sales have already begun. “We are reaching out to members of our Friends Advantage Program, which is our waiting list of future residents, to let them know about the expansion” she explained. “The advantage of committing early is that you can be involved in the selection of finishes, flooring, paint colors, and more.”
Construction will begin in 2023, giving future residents time to declutter and prepare their current house to go on the market.
CONSTRUCTION OF PHASE 1 WILL BEGIN IN 2023.
Of course, any home at The Village at Brookwood comes with all the services and amenities of a Life Plan Community. Here, you can enjoy all the conveniences of an independent lifestyle without all the worry of home ownership. The Village at Brookwood offers everything from a Wellness Center with a saltwater pool to chef-inspired dining and pet-friendly facilities.
Now is the ideal time to schedule a visit to The Village at Brookwood for a tour and a complimentary lunch. Call (336) 570-8440 for more information or to plan a visit.
It’s an exciting new era for The Village at Brookwood!
This summer, The Village at Brookwood officially became part of The WellSpring Group, a nationally renowned not-for-profit senior living and services organization based in Greensboro, N.C. This transition will usher in new goals and plans for Burlington community!
Well-Spring managed The Village at Brookwood on behalf of Cone Health for several years, and this partnership evolved with Well-Spring acquiring the community. This summer, Well-Spring and The Village at Brookwood have celebrated their “union” with cookouts and other events for residents and team members.
“Over the past 29 years, our life plan community in Greensboro has honed an approach to senior living that is among the very best in the country,” said Steve Fleming, president and CEO of The Well-Spring Group. “We offer an environment that marries both hospitality and health care delivery to individuals committed to making the most of their retirement years. And we do this in a way that provides them and their loved ones peace of mind that they are safe and very well cared for. This successful model for exceeding
Left: The Well-Spring Group hosts residents and team members of The Village at Brookwood at a barbecue luncheon to celebrate becoming part of The Well-Spring Group.
the needs of an evolving and diverse group of older adults promises to elevate even further what residents of The Village at Brookwood have come to expect in their community. That’s what a Life Plan Community is all about – and that very specialized expertise is what Well-Spring is now going to provide The Village at Brookwood.”
Fleming also pointed out that now that the transition between The Village at Brookwood and Well-Spring is finalized, attention has turned to exciting plans for the community.
“Well-Spring is committed to seeing that capital expenditures, including expanding the number of living units and repositioning existing health care units, take place soon,” he said. “Meanwhile, our entire team in Greensboro is embracing The Village at Brookwood and getting to know even better its residents and those who live and lead in Alamance County.”
“We offer an environment that marries both hospitality and health care delivery to individuals committed to making the most of their retirement years.”
– Steve Fleming, president and CEO of The Well-Spring Group
The Well-Spring Group is a notfor-profit organization based in Greensboro. Its flagship operation – Well-Spring, A Life Plan Community – opened in 1993, the result of efforts led by a coalition of nine community churches that envisioned a need for a continuing care retirement community with services and amenities second to none. A sister branch of the organization, Well-Spring Solutions, focuses on the needs of seniors who remain at home, either through home care services or communitybased adult day care for those experiencing dementia. Well-Spring Solutions also offers a full slate of programming for family caregivers, including education and support group opportunities.
Today, The Village at Brookwood is home to about 250 residents, many of whom have gravitated there from throughout North Carolina and far beyond. Burlington’s ideal location near the center of North Carolina – almost equidistant from the mountains and the coast – offers residents limitless options, said April Mayberry, Executive Director of The Village at Brookwood. “And right here in Burlington, you have a city brimming with vitality, including the world-class Elon University, arts events at the Paramount Theatre, parks, lakes, great restaurants – so many of the things that people seek in a well-rounded living experience. Well-Spring is excited to become part of the fabric of this amazing community.”
More and more people are choosing retirement communities. Life Plan Communities, also known as continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), are far from the stereotypical nursing home with bland food, BINGO and bridge.
ACTIVITIES, DINING AND FRIENDS GALORE • Whatever you enjoy doing in your everyday life now, you can enjoy it at a Life Plan Community. On site you’ll find room for outdoor activities such as walking and biking, as well as putting greens and pickleball courts. Most such communities have wellness centers with strength training and cardio machines and classes both in and out of the pool.
You’ll also have a group of friends with whom to enjoy table games like, yes, bridge and BINGO, but also mah jongg or trivia nights. There may be lectures from travel and history experts and a variety of music groups performing for residents. All this activity is conveniently just down the hall from your apartment or across the street from your garden home.
While you’re participating in these activities with friends, you can make plans for dinner! A Life Plan Community is often the best restaurant in town. Just like the varied individuals who reside there, you’ll find a variety of menu options to suit any appetite.
ALL LEVELS OF CARE IN ONE PLACE • It’s right there in the name: a continuing care retirement community will take care of you as your needs for care change. When it is time to move from independent to assisted living you have exactly the same access to elevated dining and engaging activities on a campus you already call home. In addition, you’ll know precisely what costs to expect and be guaranteed rehabilitation support after surgery and a dedicated skilled nursing staff when you need additional health care.
By moving to a Life Plan Community offering continuing care, you can move through levels of care smoothly and securely. You don’t have to worry about selling your house quickly due to a sudden change in needs. If you have a partner who requires a different level of care, you can both live where you need to and still be under one roof.
• Perhaps most importantly – for yourself and your loved ones – you should consider a Life Plan Community for peace of mind. You’ll have a continuum of care over the years, along with a wealth of activities to keep you fit mentally and physically. And you can do it all while not worrying about home repair and upkeep, thanks to experienced maintenance and housekeeping teams.
Talk to Barry Canner and Bob Travers for just a moment, and it’s clear they were in the hospitality business. It wasn’t always that way. Bob worked in a more traditional sales job, and Barry was a city planner just outside of Boston.
Barry had already bought some land in Maine, so they walked into the office of the realtor he’d worked with in Gouldsboro, asking what they could buy for $50,000-60,000 on the water.
First, the broker laughed. Then she showed them a large house just 5 miles off the water that would make a great bed and breakfast.
And Black Duck Inn was born.
Barry and Bob operated their B&B for nearly three decades. The inn had four guest rooms, and they eventually added two cottages. Their breakfast specialties included their own benedict, orange French toast with almonds, and pancakes and muffins that took advantage of Maine’s extra special blueberries.
Despite the 5 a.m. start times, their years as innkeepers were full of good times and happy memories. “We met a lot of really wonderful people who became friends,” Barry says, adding many people would come back year after year. They knew the place almost as well as the couple – asking, “What happened to that painting” or noticing when furniture had been rearranged. Some of their earliest regulars are now in their 90s, and they saw kids grow up over the years. One couple who eloped at the inn now has grandchildren.
The inn had an “over 10” policy for children, but they once granted an exception for a guest who visited so regularly with her family that she had to bring her first serious boyfriend to get Bob and Barry’s approval.
They say it was an honor to be part of the vacations that these guests so looked forward to.
Many of their guests loved visiting the inn so much they wanted their own piece of Maine heaven. After recommending the first few folks to his realtor, Bob went to work for her. And so, the Black Duck Inn became the Black Duck Inn and Properties. While Bob was busy selling homes, Barry worked on managing them. At one point, they, with the help of a cleaning team, oversaw 25 rentals.
Over a decade ago, Barry and Bob started easing out of their various businesses and built a house on the land surrounding the inn. You’ll now find them there during the hot North Carolina summers. This is a reverse of when the inn was open from Memorial Day to Columbus Day, and in the winter, the snowbirds headed to Key West. After having a condo for several years, they eventually renovated a farmhouse from the 1800s. It had a lovely Tuscan feel with old stone walls and a pool.
While Key West is a great place to visit, they knew it wasn’t where they wanted to retire full-time. The pair visited about 20 continuing care retirement communities on a trip from Virginia to Georgia, ideally looking for somewhere with a first floor apartment for the convenience of walking their rescue pup, Iona.
And that’s how they found The Village at Brookwood in Burlington, N.C.
The Village at Brookwood happened to have a house available – not what they thought they were looking for, but it met all their physical needs. Besides the house, they found the community as a whole also fit their physical and emotional needs. So, in the middle of the pandemic, they moved in.
Besides walking Iona three to four miles a day, Barry and Bob enjoy visiting The Village at Brookwood’s fitness center and library, and they’ve gotten involved with a bicycling group. They’ve also taken advantage of a lot of what nearby Elon University has to offer the community’s residents.
“People have been so nice,” Bob says. “It’s the wave. Everyone waves when they see you. Very southern!”
He goes on to say that when they first arrived at The Village at Brookwood, “it was like going to college, when you don’t know anyone in the cafeteria. But right off the bat, people said, ‘You’re the new guys! Sit with us!’”
From their fellow residents to the team members, Bob and Barry appreciate how welcoming everyone has been.
Be sure to say hello, share your favorite recent read, and give Iona a pat when you see them around.
Centrally located on the eastern seaboard, The Village at Brookwood is convenient to three international airports (Raleigh-Durham, Piedmont Triad and Charlotte Douglas), as well as major interstate highways. Situated in the middle of the state, the community is only a morning’s drive from the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and the beautiful Outer Banks.
Contact us to learn more or to schedule a personalized tour: (336) 570-8440 (800) 282-2053
The Village at Brookwood prides itself on planning a continuous stream of wide-ranging activities for its residents, both on the grounds of the community and well beyond.
The Life Enrichment calendar is always bursting with options and there’s constantly something for everyone. Shopping trips, a visit to a vineyard, lunch excursions, a baseball game, a journey to a historic site in Kernersville, a dinner theatre outing and an exploration of the Greensboro Science Center are just some of the scheduled resident options scattered throughout a typical month.
Betsy Huneycutt, Director of Sales, says that The Village at Brookwood’s location in Burlington – right in the middle of the state – creates tremendous opportunities for field trips, north, south, east and west. “It’s a simple hop to the Virginia state line, or a quick ride to either the Triad, featuring attractions in Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem, or the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Research Triangle Park. There are truly endless options.”
But you don’t have to leave The Village at Brookwood to be engaged and entertained. There’s plenty to choose from right within our community. Residents enjoy worship services, games, movies, arts and crafts, wine and cheese gatherings and more. The fitness center constantly hosts group exercise classes, both in the workout areas as well as the indoor pool.
The Village at Brookwood also invites prospective residents to join the Friends Advantage Program. While it works like a typical waiting list – allowing you to “hold a place in line” until the time is right – it also has immediate and active benefits, including invitations to exclusive dinners in Lakeside Dining, priority access to on-campus seminars, participation in our Wine Club and more! For more information about the Friends Advantage Program, contact us at villageatbrookwood.org/contact
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On Saturday, December 3, from 10 am to 2 pm, The Village at Brookwood will be transformed into a magical winter wonderland for the annual Merry Market.
Launched in 2016, the Merry Market has become a highly anticipated holiday event that brings together residents, families, staff, volunteers, vendors and the greater Burlington and Alamance County community.
Betsy Huneycutt, Director of Sales at The
Village at Brookwood, along with a team of staff from all departments at the community, have been planning for this event for months. “In 2021, after COVID was more under control, we decided to bring back the Merry Market in a bigger and better format,” explained Betsy. “Last year’s market was a huge success, and we hope to replicate it this year.”
The public is invited to join us and browse more than 30 local vendors and exhibitors, visit with Santa, enjoy complimentary hot chocolate and cookies or pick up lunch at one of the food trucks. Performers from local dance studios, plus roaming carolers and an a capella group from Elon University will entertain the crowd.
“Again we ask guests to bring a donation to Christmas Cheer as their entry fee, if they were able, ” said Betsy. “Last year, we were so thrilled to have collected two wagons full of toys and more than $300 for Christmas Cheer!”
