Dave Karl’s story is one of variety in experiences. He has been hiking in Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, Sweden, and Greece; played tennis in leagues until he turned 70; worked in education for over 35 years; and has moved through all levels of our continuum of care.
Dave, who today resides in an independent living apartment, came to Luther Acres for skilled nursing care following a hospitalization. His wife Betsy joined him soon after, as she needed additional care following surgery. While they were in the Luther Acres Healthcare Center, they had two separate rooms, but the staff arranged for the couple to have their meals together. “They were really accommodating,” Dave said.
After they became well enough, they decided to make the transition into an apartment where they could receive personal care services. “We were very happy living in our apartment,” says Dave. “We received the support and oversight we needed by very helpful staff. The activities and lifestyle were wonderful for us.” Later, as Betsy’s illness progressed in 2016, she returned to the Healthcare Center where Dave would visit her often. After Betsy passed, it became apparent that Dave didn’t need the additional personal care support services, so he moved to an independent living apartment in our Luther Townhome Building.
Dave continues to be active at Luther Acres, where he can be found weight training or swimming in the Wellness Center. He enjoys walking an average of 2-3 miles a day and appreciates the campus’ location and scenery, whether he’s walking through campus or on the nearby Warwick-to-Ephrata Rail Trail.
To help him stay active and keep up his strength, Dave has also taken advantage of our rehabilitation services for his knees and shoulder. After working with a physical therapist, they developed a regimen of weekly exercises that helps him be able to do the activities he loves.
Before coming to Luther Acres Dave worked for 37 years to shape local education. After graduating in 1959, he worked as a teacher, high school and middle school counselor, administrator, and principal. Additionally, he worked with the adult education programs for Lancaster and Lebanon County, supervised development of prison educational programs, and did curriculum and strategic planning work with the IU-13. Now, Dave continues to help his neighbors by serving on the resident food committee, delivering community mail, and by volunteering with our “Meals on Heels” meal delivery program.
For fun, Dave enjoys the live entertainment and movies offered on campus. “They’ve had a number of shows that are good, so I try to go to those. I really like the entertainment they have here,” he said. On the weekends, he likes to visit nearby family, including his grandson who turned 4 earlier this year.