Reviews of Providence Place at Ingleside

As a widow Doris Latulippe spent five years living alone in the house she and her husband once shared. Looking back, she says, that while her daughter and son-in-law were generous in helping her keep her home up to snuff, it simply got to be “too much.” It was time for her to “move on.”

Relatively new to living at Providence Place, Doris says she has found the other residents “very friendly, and the staff as well.”

Explaining, “Everyone helps each other out.” And, as far as the amenities go—“There are beautiful tablecloths and real flowers in the dining room, and beautiful gardens. No matter what goes wrong, they are there for you. The chapel you can’t help but love” and “there are so many activities” you need to use your own discretion as to what to take part in. “Even though you get to see the program calendar before you move in here,” she added, “it is not until you live here that you appreciate how many activities there truly are. Then there is the fact that, the washing machines are free, not coin operated. And you can’t beat the security.”

Though her apartment has a full kitchen, she does “very little cooking now. I love the fish here, especially the salmon. If on occasion there is something on the daily menu I don’t feel like having there are always enough other menu choices to choose from. I have no complaints at all.”

She closed with, “It was a big move but only took me about a week living here to break loose and begin enjoying it. Not sorry I made the move. We are all treated well, with respect, so it’s very nice. I just love it, love it, love it.”

Rose Toti is uniquely familiar with the building she now calls home, and the building’s original residents—the Sisters of Providence (SPs). In fact, she was an honored guest invited to both the Grand Opening of Providence Place in 1999 and its 20th Anniversary Celebration in 2019!

An Associate of the Sisters of Providence, Rose enjoys a special relationship with the Congregation. In the past she would come to the building—formerly known as Providence Mother House—to attend special events and visit with the Sisters and Associates. Living alongside several Sisters now, she says, is just one of many benefits of living at Providence Place.

Born in Springfield, Rose attended the SPs’ Mercy Hospital School of Nursing and worked at Mercy Hospital for 30 years. She and her husband raised two children while living in West Springfield. Widowed in 1998, she planned to move to Providence Place when she turned 80, but “didn’t want to leave Agawam. I was very active and involved” with numerous groups including St. Ann’s Society in West Springfield, the Over 60 Club in Agawam, the Agawam Catholic Women’s Club, and the Mercy Alumni Association. Then came COVID-19.

“The virus did it,” Rose explained. “I was stuck at home. I am very social! I looked around my condo and saw all the work that needed to be done—like painting, the floors.” It was time. She moved on July 28, 2020. “I feel like I have been here forever. It is worry-free; it’s great! They call it Independent living,” she says, “but actually they keep an eye on you.”

Her family is happy too. “My grandson helped me move. He said, ‘Noni, I snuck into the library and they have some great books!’ My grandkids used to take me to old bookstores all the time. I love books.” Now Rose helps out in the library with another resident, Pat Gagnon (featured below) . “Pat saw me in there and asked if I could help out,” she explained. “If you are a reader, like me, being in the library is something you look forward to.”

Keeping active and learning new things remain important to Rose. She recently decided to try painting. “It’s a challenge,” she noted. “The people in the class are very good. But you never know, I get to spend an hour and a half learning something new!”

Rose looks forward to the time when she will feel comfortable to travel and hug her family again, but for now she feels connected with phone calls, letters and cards—and her new family at Providence Place.

Providence Place has a homelike feeling.

Moving isn’t always easy, however, the staff willingly lifts that burden from your shoulders.

Unlike some who have lived in the area for most of their life, I was a newcomer to this part of Massachusetts. The sweet and kindhearted employees are here to walk you through the steps of getting acclimated and help you feel a part of this wonderful community.

I now cherish the friends I have made and hope to meet more.

If you are one who likes your privacy, that opportunity is here as well. We have lots of activities—both indoors and out—and magnificent grounds for those who are walkers like me. It’s all here for you to enjoy. Wait ‘till you see our flower gardens bursting forth in the spring and summer!

What sets Providence Place apart from other similar facilities is its personal touch.

Part of what drew Pat Gagnon to Providence Place was her disenchantment with what, as a longtime homeowner, she calls her “man-jobs.” Though still capable of caring for her former home’s yard and its like, she “just wasn’t motivated to do it anymore. And living in a tourist area finding help to get those jobs done was no easy task.”

Describing herself as “practical,” she noted that “since no one is getting any younger, including myself,” she decided to do what she could to put herself in a position “to age with grace.” That included her considering independent retirement living.

For others at her juncture in life, she advises, “not waiting until you have an issue. It’s important you make these decisions yourself because your kids don’t want to make them for you.”

When she first came to Providence Place making new friends wasn’t on her priority list. “After all,” she said, “I was thinking ‘It’s just an apartment.’” Now that apartment “feels like home” and she finds the other residents “a friendly group of people. The longer you live here,” she explained, “you begin to connect with them in different ways.”

For her, Providence Place means “security without worry, independence without isolation and choices with support as needed.”

Concluding she adds, “Providence Place is the place to find and nurture new interests, and to continue to use your abilities and interests. It’s a place that encourages quality of life, and healthy habits for body, mind and spirit.”

Two years ago, I left my home in New Mexico for my new home at Providence Place.  What I found far surpassed my expectations – beautiful grounds, lovely living space, great food, and caring competent staff.  My days are now full of a wide range of choices that includes exercise, yoga, painting, educational presentations and plain old fashioned games.  The thing, however, that I was not anticipating was the level of friendship offered to me by my new community of fellow residents.  Transitions are difficult, but frequently prove well worth the challenges.