When Morrine – Mo for short – moved into Atria Palm Desert three years ago, she wasn’t stepping into unfamiliar territory. In many ways, she was coming home.
Thirty years earlier, her mother, Anna, had moved into the same senior living community. Then, as now, visits were a family affair. When Mo came to see her mother, Mo’s young grandchildren would tag along, bringing energy and a little bit of entertainment with them.
Mo’s granddaughter would arrive straight from dance practice, still wearing her tutu, and perform for residents while Mo’s grandson played the piano.
Though they’re grown, the grandkids still come back, now to visit Mo. The granddaughter who once danced through the hallways is now a dietitian who returns to the community to give lectures on nutrition for older adults.
Mo’s daughter, Gina, is also often at the community, joining her mom for dinner and events – though she jokes that she’s not quite ready to make the move herself.
The second time’s a charm
Their story spans generations – not only for their family, but also for the entire community.
For Mo, the move was a natural return to a familiar place. And despite the decades that had passed, she found some familiar faces.
One of them is Kristina, the community’s Engage Life Director.
Decades before she planned celebrations, outings and daily fitness classes for seniors, Kristina started her first job at the community and knew Mo’s mother well. She still has a needlework wall-hanging that Anna gave her – along with newspaper clippings from the community’s opening, featuring the young faces of two other employees who are also still caring for residents today.
Though Kristina left to raise a family and manage a restaurant, she never lost touch with the community. She’d check in from time to time, curious whether the right opportunity might come along.
When the Engage Life Director position opened, she knew it was time to return.
“This was my first job,” she says, “and I want it to be my last.”
Thirty years of relationships
As Atria celebrates 30 years of serving older adults, stories like Mo’s remind us that a community is more than a building. It’s a collection of relationships that grow over time.
A granddaughter who once danced in a tutu now shares nutrition advice for older adults. A staff member who left to grow her own family has come back to create meaningful experiences for a new generation of residents. And a daughter who once visited the community now calls it home herself.
After 30 years, it’s connections like these that remain one of Atria’s greatest accomplishments.
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