Birchez Associates LLC

For Aleta Elsworth, a nurse’s aide for 27 years who was born and raised in Kingston, there’s simply no place like home.

“My husband and I went to Florida for seven months,” she says.  “Only seven months — we came back to Kingston.  All our family was here.”

Aleta has a big family.  Between her and her husband, Clarence, there are 10 kids (three of her own, seven step-children), and she has two younger (twin) sisters who live in the same community as her at Chambers Court in the Town of Ulster.

“A lot of people think we’re triplets, but I’m the oldest,” says Aleta of her sisters.  “They’re twins.  They’re funny, and a lot of people here get the biggest kick out of them, because they bicker at each other,” she laughs.

Things weren’t always so easy for Aleta and her sisters, though.

“I lived on Franklin Street with my sisters and my mom,” she recalls.  “I took care of my mom, and she lived with me for quite awhile, and then she passed away.  Then we couldn’t afford it  anymore because the rent was too high, and we had to pay all the utilities…so we had to find another place.  I had had an application in here at Chambers Court, but Birches in Saugerties was opening up, so I lived there first.  And then when a cottage unit became available at Chambers Court, I moved here, because I really wanted to be here.  This is convenient to everything — you can go to ShopRite, you can go to the mall — it’s really, really nice.”

Since moving to Chambers Court, Aleta has enjoyed all of what it and its neighboring community, The Birches at Chambers, have to offer.  She and Clarence are frequent visitors to the fitness studio, and Aleta makes routine appearances at the regularly held community tea parties.

“And I know they have the computer lab — I really don’t know anything about computers, but I want to learn.  So I’m interested in that,” she adds.

But it’s not just the fun stuff that makes Aleta love her home: the convenience of having a handicapped accessible apartment has truly improved her quality of life, as she’s sometimes unable to get around without a wheelchair.

“I’ve had four different surgeries on my feet and I have two more to go, and it’s great that my apartment is handicapped accessible,” she says.  “It has a roll in shower, because when I have my surgery, I can’t walk.”

Aleta is also a strong supporter of Alice Tipp, the Birches Communities’ official Senior Advocate.  Without her, says Aleta, she would have been lost.

“I took my brother-in-law in because he had had a stroke, and my husband and I had power of attorney, and we were his healthcare proxy,” says Aleta.  “Alice helped me because I didn’t know what to do, because we were legally responsible for him.  She called and got me an appointment with an attorney at the Ulster County Office for the Aging. They helped us take care of that situation and resolve it.  She’s wonderful.”

And Alice Tipp isn’t the only member of the Birchez staff that Aleta appreciates.

“Steve Aaron — each place he builds is better than the last one.  I’ve never had a problem.  I’m very happy here.”

Brian Rubin for Birchez Associates, birchezassociates@gmail.com