Live at Lake Lorraine, visit Florida anytime with Grand Living connection

June 22, 2018

This paid piece is sponsored by Grand Living.

Sunny Florida awaits anytime of year for Grand Living residents at Citrus Hills – and those who can visit from other Grand Living communities.

Located in beautiful Hernando atop Florida’s Central Ridge, we learned more about Grand Living’s Florida gem from Terri Osteen, executive director at Citrus Hills.

What kind of first impressions do people experience at Grand Living Citrus Hills?

“Wow.” That’s usually the first thing they say when they walk through the front door. They feel like they’re stepping onto a cruise ship or fancy resort. A lot of people compare it to the Ritz-Carlton. They comment on how elegant it is.

What are some of your favorite features of Citrus Hills?

That’s actually a hard question! I love our Forum Theatre, which can be used for anything and has been. We recently had a fashion show with a tea party luncheon that drew 130 people. It seats 150, and there’s a greenroom off to the side. We feature local talent and also bring in musical acts, and we’ve had groups from the local schools and churches and symphonies come in. We also have residents who play the piano there and a couple staff who play.

I also love our fitness program. We’ve had 40 people use our Forum Theatre to “pedal around the world” using the large screen to virtually take them to a different destination every day. The rest of the fitness program is phenomenal too. A personal trainer is included with their apartment, and it’s all state-of-the-art, very easy to use equipment, and programs can be created just for them.

We also have an outdoor pool, and the water aerobics is fabulous. We average anywhere from 10 to 15 per class, so it’s very manageable, and everybody gets attention from the instructor. It’s beautiful.

Dining is an essential part of the Grand Living experience. What are some of the popular options at Citrus Hills?

Our food is fabulous. Nobody can match our food program. We make everything. We cut our own meat. We make our soup from scratch. There’s no processed foods. We use a fresh seafood program. We’re probably the best restaurant in town. We average 10 to 20 guests who are friends or relatives or residents every night. We just had a prime rib Father’s Day buffet and had 40 guests from the outside.

You can choose from our bistro, cafe or fine dining room, and it’s all included with your rent, so you have great variety and selection in your dining. Some of our popular entrees include shrimp and grits, our bistro salads, coconut chicken with pineapple salsa, lamb and barbecue ribs.

I have not had a bad meal in the time I’ve been here.

Grand Living residents in Sioux Falls and other communities are able to visit you. How does that work?

They need to call and make a reservation. We have guest apartments set up. They can come for up to a week, and there’s no charge once you pay your way here. You’d stay in a guest apartment up to a week and have all the amenities our residents do.

In your experience with senior living, what makes Grand Living and Citrus Hills different?

I’ve been in senior living 31 years. Grand Living is definitely unique. This is very upscale yet homey. That’s one of the things people say when they come in. They say, “The move wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought, and I wish I’d done this sooner.”

Everybody just says it has a great feel when they come in the door and it’s like a great big family. And it is. The most unique thing is our Sterling Touch program, which is the principles we live by and the staff training we provide. And it’s ongoing and constant. Everybody sees it. When they come in, they say everyone is so happy. You don’t walk into too many places anymore and see that the staff is always happy.

Everything is absolutely breathtaking. It’s very pretty and yet nobody is afraid to sit on the couch. Everyone feels very at home. There’s just a lot of respect and love and friendships being made every day. Usually you go to a dining room for three meals a day, seven days a week and everyone gets accustomed to sitting in the same spot. I don’t have that here. Everybody is so welcoming and so friendly, and they rotate around and meet different people and make new friends. It’s just a very kind place to be.

What makes you personally motivated to come to work?

Knowing that I make a difference in someone’s life every day gives me more than enough reason to come to work. The fact that I work in a beautiful community is a bonus.

If people would like to learn more, what should they do?

Call us at 352-301-8500 to schedule a tour or gather information. And for information about Grand Living at Lake Lorraine in Sioux Falls, call 605-799-1900.

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Live at Lake Lorraine, visit Florida anytime with Grand Living connection

Sunny Florida awaits any time of year for Grand Living residents at Citrus Hills – and those who can visit for free from other Grand Living communities like the one at Lake Lorraine.

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