Marie has been a resident at Wood Glen Hall for five years and shares with us why she chose Wood Glen Hall, and what has made living there so special.

Marie sits back in her rocker, looking at ease. A cool breeze slips through the window and everything seems to be in its right place. While sitting with Marie, it felt like I was visiting her in her own home, rather than in a retirement community. Pictures, paintings and other personal belongings were placed throughout the room and an array of books lined the shelves. Wood Glen Hall seems to be especially good at allowing residents to feel a sense of independence. Each resident has his or her own private room and bath, and each has a diverse yet beautiful view from their window.


Marie has lived at Wood Glen Hall for five years and is 97 years old. Before moving to California, she lived in Minnesota until she was 40. “I am the oldest of six children, 16 years older than my youngest sibling,” she said. “I was always the caregiver and babysitter. This is so nice to finally have someone taking care of me.”

Why did Marie choose Wood Glen Hall as her new home? “For one thing I liked the fact it was all on one floor and I liked the surroundings, landscaping and openness of it,” she said. “It seemed to be a very friendly place with great activities and a great activities director. It wasn’t as large as the other places I looked at, so you felt as if you could get to know people easier.”

Marie says she is completely at home at Wood Glen Hall. She talked about her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and showed me a picture of two of her great-grandchildren who recently came to visit. They were sitting on her lap in the very room we were sitting in. All three of their facial expressions made Marie and me smile; the little boy was looking around curiously and Marie’s great-granddaughter had a wide grin on her face. I could tell Marie enjoys when they get a chance to come to California and visit her.

Santa Barbara seems to be the perfect destination for most to live. “It’s just the overall surrounding that I enjoy in Santa Barbara,” Marie explained. “Before I lived here I lived out in the desert about 30 miles from Palms Springs. I lived in a complete desert and now I live in the city of trees.”

Wood Glen Hall’s location at 3010 Foothill Road is tranquil as well as beautiful, and the facility itself incorporates these same qualities. Ringing the building is a sidewalk that is a quarter-mile long. “This is nice because you can judge how far you’re walking,” Marie said. “If you go around twice you know you’ve walked half a mile.”

Marie explains to me that she rarely walks that much anymore since she got arthritis in her feet but she does enjoy reading the newspaper and nonfiction books, playing bridge and doing crossword puzzles. “I am more brains than body these days,” she laughed.

Wood Glen Hall’s layout allows not only for long walks around the building but also provides spacious patios with tables and lounge chairs so residents can walk in the great weather or choose to just relax and read. The facility has more to offer than great outdoors and sunshine, if the weather is dreary. Marie appreciates the maintenance inside. “I like the fact that it’s so well kept up, its always clean and they are always improving things,” she said. “We had fans put in our rooms and now they’re redoing the lobby with new furniture. I feel like it’s very up and coming here, even though it’s over 50 years old. I don’t think anyone is aware of that because it seems so up to date all the time.”

But architecture and location aren’t everything; having friendly staff as well as being able to meet new people can make a huge difference. “In a way I feel safer and more cared for after moving here,” she said. “I was alone before and it’s nice living with a group of people. We have the same table mates every day so we get to know each other pretty well.”

Marie also beams about the staff. “I am especially close with the girls who distribute the medication and the waitresses,” said Marie, who knows their names by heart. She added, “we have a full-time nurse, an RN who works five days a week, and she is very helpful when you need to consult her about anything.”

Even before entering the building, just on the drive there, it’s evident that Wood Glen Hall is in an area secluded but just close enough from everything that Santa Barbara has to offer. Wood Glen Hall provides tours of Santa Barbara to its residents, allowing them to branch out and embrace the area.

“We have a scenic drive, the activities director drives a bus almost every Thursday, and we get to ride around Santa Barbara,” she said. “During Christmas time we have a special tour that lasts two nights, and that is a tour of just the Christmas lights, that is very enjoyable for me.”

There are also special events just about every day. Wood Glen Hall has birthday lunches every month and this is one of Marie’s favorite special events. “All the people who have a birthday during that month sit at a special table,” she said. “We all have a lunch with ice cream, birthday cake, champagne or sparkling cider.”

Marie depicts Wood Glen Hall as all it seems to be. Inside and out, the facility allows life to be easy, enjoyable, relaxing and safe for its residents. Wood Glen Hall enables those who need the extra help to still lead a full and satisfying life, if not better than before. Marie seems content with her living situation, and I can’t imagine that other residents would feel differently. Looking back on life before living there, it’s clear that Marie is happy she chose to reside in Wood Glen Hall. “I lived in an apartment over on Hitchcock for seven years before moving to Wood Glen Hall and I was alone there,” she said. “Now there’s always friends around.”

— Noozhawk intern Bryana Nugent is an SBCC student. She can be reached at bnugent@noozhawk.com.