Since then, the city has grown up around the campus, which means more opportunities for activities and out trips close to home for Hidden Lake residents. At the same time, the campus has also grown significantly, adding additional apartments and, in 2001, a skilled nursing facility.

The community’s growth continues to this day through ongoing beautification projects happening around campus. Work crews are updating paint jobs, lighting fixtures, carpeting and furniture in all of the senior living apartments and patio homes as they become available. The results, Irene says, have been “fantastic!”

“When my sister and I came here, it was a big change for us,” said Frances. “We’d never lived in the city. Everyone here was a stranger, but that only lasted a day or two. We got used to it overnight.

“It isn’t like your own home,” she said, “but I’d recommend it to anyone. This place is home now; it just took some adjustment.”