FRANKLIN GROVE – Taking a drive on rural Illinois highways can lead you to many destinations.

Depending on your lifestyle, there are always churches, bars, parks, lakes, restaurants and landmarks to look at or research in different locations.

In Franklin Grove, a few stick out and bring interest, including The Meadows of Franklin Grove Assisted Living.

“When I first started here, we were an independent facility. In 2015, we became assistant living, which means we have independent seniors and assistant seniors,” said Vickie Smith, who has been the activities director at The Meadows for the last 12 years. “The assistant residents may need more reminders of when they need their medicine, shower assistance or laundry assistant – anything that might help.

“We want them to be as independent as possible. We still want them to do their normal living activities, but we do help them with their everyday living activities.”

Normal living is valued and accommodated at The Meadows with a laundry room, dining area, four sunrooms, a big yard, outdoor walking areas, a workout area, a movie theatre, a game room, a library, a piano, an arts and crafts room, and a workshop.

The Meadows houses 44 apartments including four studios, a suite with two bedrooms, four large one-bedroom apartments, several small apartments, and a few apartments sized between the small and large.

Residents are from all over Illinois and from out of state as The Meadows of Franklin Grove Assisted Living has plenty of surrounding families their seniors want to be around.

Smith has the opportunity to make life at The Meadows even more enjoyable by planning activities.

“It’s fun for me to get to know them and it’s fun for them to be involved. They don’t want to feel isolated or alone,” Smith said. “Some of my senior come out for their three meals and socialize. My activities just add on to their socializing. We have some residents who had never done arts and crafts, but now they enjoy the arts and crafts. They step outside of their comfort zone.

“I’m surprised sometimes because I’ll see someone at a social having fun and and enjoying themselves, who I’ve never seen at another social before. We have fun events where we dress up in costumes. I’ve been told more than once by a resident, ‘I don’t think I’m allowed to put that hat on,’ because it was silly.

“There will never be a time when Bingo isn’t played here. We play twice a week, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Every month we have a social to celebrate birthdays. We throw in special, out of nowhere socials for fun such as the Dr. Suess Week we had in March. We celebrate every holiday, we do things outside such as bonfires with hotdogs and marshmallows, we’ve had a farm social with animals, and we have a holiday open house.

“We’re always creating another event for them to have fun.”

The Christmas season starts kind of early.

But why not, who doesn’t feel the joy when they see holiday decorations.

“We start decorating for Christmas in October. We start putting the trees up because we have seven of them we put up every yea,” Smith said. “One big one in the lobby, one goes in each of our four sunrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs.

“A lot of families get together at Thanksgiving. This way they’re able to celebrate Christmas as well if they can’t do it during Christmas.”

The Meadows also accommodates all religious values.

Although COVID-19 wasn’t a pleasant time in American history, it did change some traditions. Church services is one of them as pastors began recording their sermons and sending them to The Meadows.

Now, every day of the week, a different religion can be served through a video.

Walking through the halls of The Meadows doesn’t feel like a retirement home or a place people are counting off the days.

The residents are vibrant and they’re waiting for the next event to have fun and share with their neighbors and their families.

Check out The Meadows of Franklin Grove Assisted Living Facebook page and the website (https://meadowsoffranklingrove.com/) for more information.