NOT SLOWING DOWN
It’s a common misconception, and perhaps understandably so, that living at one of Bluestem Communities life plan campuses means that you are retired. But for a handful of residents at The Cedars, Kidron Bethel Village and Schowalter Villa, full retirement is still somewhere down the road.
This is not just a phenomenon at Bluestem Communities. Across the country, a growing number of professionals are moving into retirement or life plan communities – senior living that offers a continuum of care from independent living to assisted living and long-term health care – years before they plan to retire, blurring the widely held perceptions of senior living.
Individuals qualify to live at Bluestem Communities at the age of 62, which is well before retirement for some people. The allure of maintenance-free living, premium amenities and getting a headstart on building social connections are often what prompt them to make the move once they qualify by age.
Three residents who continue to hold professional roles share about their decision to move to Bluestem Communities. For these residents, moving to a life plan community hasn’t marked an ending, but rather it’s opened the door to a different kind of beginning. With fewer day-to-day responsibilities and a strong sense of community already in place, they’ve found the freedom to keep contributing, pursuing meaningful work, and building connections on their own terms. Their experiences reflect a shifting narrative around aging and retirement – one where purpose doesn’t have an expiration date, and where “slowing down” is less about stopping and more about choosing what comes next.
Tricia Hartshorn, The Cedars, McPherson, Kansas
“I was really looking forward to downsizing and the maintenance-free living,” said Tricia Hartshorn, a resident at The Cedars in McPherson, Kansas. “To have the freedom to not have to worry about those pieces of home ownership, but be able to give my attention to a new area I find energizing has been the best of both worlds for me.”
When Hartshorn moved to The Cedars community in spring 2026, she gained not only a new home, but a new job, accepting the role of Director of Fund Advancement at The Cedars, after working in higher education for 36 years.
“I felt like I was winding down in higher education, but I knew I still had a lot to give,” said Hartshorn. “I wasn’t looking to find a job in the same place I was moving to, but it worked out and I’m really glad it did. I love talking with residents and others, hearing their stories and about their connection to The Cedars. It makes the work that I do really fulfilling.”
In her role, Hartshorn works with donors and the larger Bluestem Communities Fund Advancement Team to build the Resident Assistance Fund, Bluestem Legacy Endowment and other special projects.
“I was a little bit nervous about how it would work to live and work in the same place,” she said. “If I went to a resident event, would people think I was there to work? But I haven’t found that to be the case at all. When it’s time to go home, I take my nametag off and I’m Tricia, the independent living resident, and I can go about my day as that person.”
Lynne Beth, Kidron Bethel Village, North Newton, Kansas
Lynne Beth moved to Kidron Bethel Village with the intention of being retired and continuing to serve through volunteer roles, but when she moved to campus during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, volunteer roles were in short supply. She found one filling shifts at the Newton Area Senior Center, but was soon asked if she’d be willing to take the vacated director role.
“I had already been retired from my corporate job for six years, but I said, yes, I would take the job,” said Beth, who had worked for Ten Thousand Villages corporate in Pennsylvania for 23 years, then cared for aging parents before relocating to Kansas. “With my business background, I jumped in with both feet and we started tackling some challenges facing the center.”
An aging building with most of its original features, a hit to funding and low participation numbers were all part of the challenges Beth had to face. Over the last three years, she has spearheaded fundraising to renovate the bathrooms and fix the roof, re-secured funding from the city, and has been working steadily to bring numbers back to pre-pandemic levels.
“It’s been such a blessing to have the success we’ve had,” Beth said. “I just keep saying, ‘Ok, God, just keep giving me these ideas, keep letting me use my gifts and lets see what we can do here.”
“I’m grateful to still be able to work,” Beth said. “I’ve worked hard all of my life – it’s just part of my DNA, and I guess I wasn’t really ready to give it up yet. I enjoy having something to do, somewhere to go, and not having to come home and worry about keeping up the yard or other maintenance things.”
Ron Mumaw, Schowalter Villa, Hesston, Kansas
Ron Mumaw has been a longstanding presence at Schowalter Villa for 25 years where he has served as a member of the Maintenance and Grounds team, so when he arrived as an independent living resident in 2024, seeing him around campus was just part of everyday.
“I think my wife and I always knew we would end up moving to Schowalter Villa,” said Mumaw. “There’s a long history of her family moving here. When we started having some health concerns, we knew it was time to make the move, and we’re so glad we did. We actually signed our contract on the day I turned 62!”
When Ron and his wife, Stacey, were touring potential homes, he was working as the maintenance person in the Arbor Vista neighborhood – the same neighborhood they chose to move to. He now serves as the maintenance person in the Villa Life Center (long-term health care), giving him a bit more separation between work and home.
“It’s been a good and simple balance of living and working in the same place,” Mumaw said. “When I come to work, I work, and when it’s time to leave I’m a resident, not an employee. I haven’t felt much blurring of that. In fact, I really like that I am here and conveniently located to tackle an after-hours emergency call from time to time.”
“I’m glad that I’m able to continue to work, and I’m glad that we made the move to Schowalter Villa when we did – when we were still physically able to do it,” Mumaw said. “It gave us the opportunity to be selective with the home we wanted and be able to relinquish some of the details of home ownership. Schowalter Villa is such a wonderful place with wonderful people. When I started working in the Villa Life Center, there were 97 residents in health care, and 57 of them I had taken care of through maintenance when they were in independent living. There is such a richness to the connections that are created. That’s been the most fulfilling part.”