This past July we asked future residents to participate in a survey to help us better understand your needs as you wait for a place within our communities. The response rate was 32% of recipients for a total of 315 responses. Each response gave us valuable insight into what matters most to you, helping us shape programs, communications, and future planning.

Anticipated waiting time for a RiverWoods residence

From the responses, 60.6% said given wait times meet your needs and expectations, while 39.4% said you’d prefer to move in sooner.

Reasons to move in sooner include wanting to be part of a community sooner rather than later so you can take advantage of community activities while you’re still able to, as well as financial and logistical concerns about selling your home in a robust housing market.

We have been aware of these concerns for some time and have good news to share! In 2024, RiverWoods Manchester added 18 cottages to their campus, and both RiverWoods Exeter and RiverWoods Durham have plans to add new independent living homes to their campuses.

The expansion at RiverWoods Exeter will follow the completion of the new Health Center, which we will continue to provide updates on as we have them. The Riverwoods Durham project will break ground in the summer of 2026, adding 55 new residences and additional community amenities.  We will share more specifics on this expansion later this year, including how you can reserve one of these new homes.

Participating in Community Activities

Many of you are very interested in participating in activities with current residents. Although the ability to participate could be limited by your location, we are looking to provide ways to keep you engaged with the RiverWoods community. Speaker presentations is at the top of the list (34% of you asked for this), which we are already providing via Zoom. Participation is always quite high for these virtual events, but we’re also looking for in-person opportunities (34% are interested).

In October, Future Residents of Durham can participate in Active Aging Week events and we’re considering other opportunities in the future at all three communities. Several responses indicated interest in dining at a community (16.5%) and attending specific programs such as music (21.3%), art (11.4%), and fitness (9.5%).

Receiving Services from RiverWoods

As a not-for-profit, our mission is to help not only our current residents but to bring our services and expertise to the wider communities of New England.

We are pleased to offer two new services this year which are available to anyone: NaviGuide and Seacoast Dementia Hub. Both programs are designed to meet the needs of older adults looking for dependable, affordable and quality healthcare assistance.

Focus Group Participation

Several future residents expressed an interest in the focus group to further discuss their needs while still living at home. Please stay tuned, as we’re looking to take steps to address this in the coming year.

Thank you to all of you who took the time to answer the survey questions!