Discover gold at Eskaton

Golden years rather than golden nuggets are being mined at Eskaton Village Placerville.

What better way is there to spend those golden years than in resort-style living in the gold country?

Eskaton Village Placerville is a multi-service retirement community located at 3380 Blairs Lane in Placerville. Out of sight to most, the village sits atop what was once one of El Dorado County’s gold mining hot spots.

The 63-acre parcel currently consists of patio homes for independent living, the lodge with apartments for 40 assisted living residents and 24 memory care residents. Under construction and set to become available for rent in late May to early June are 39 cottages for independent living.

The village offers much more than just a place for residents to lay their heads at night. Eskaton Village Placerville is staffed with the appropriate office and medical personnel 24-hours a day providing residents the level of care needed. More than that, it provides an important aspect of life that should not be overlooked at any age: a social life.

“Although we provide some level of care we are not a medical facility, we offer more of a social model,” Evelyn McGrath, executive director of Eskaton Village Placerville, said. “(Our residents) are here to have a social life  … they dine with friends and we provide activities for them.”

A small handful of activities The Village provides for its senior residents include: exercise/fitness clubs and classes, arts and crafts, outings to various places and events around town, games and holiday celebrations and parties.

Coupled with the excitement of activities, The Village also offers the convenience of services such as housekeeping, laundry, maintenance, emergency alert response, three meals served daily, medication administration and any arrangement of medical appointments and transportation if needed.

These, of course, only encompass a fraction of services offered to those living at The Village.

Even more is set to be unveiled for residents of Eskaton Village Placerville come this May or June. The new cottages will also be accompanied by a Village Center which will include a luxurious indoor heated pool and spa, fitness center, pool table, outdoor gazebo, croquet court, putting green and a dog park.

“We really offer peace of mind for the families,” Pamela Dallas, sales counselor at Eskaton Village Placerville, said. “Knowing we are right here and having all of these (amenities) … all of those together make it a really nice package.”

The new cottages will be available for those seniors able to live independently. Some housekeeping will be provided along with meal options in the lodge and maintenance services, however, residents will be expected to be fully capable of living on their own.

Felice Despotakis has been a resident at Eskaton Village Placerville for 3 1/2 years and said that both the people and facility are “very, very nice.

“The staff is very good, they will do anything for you,” she said. “Every Thursday we go out somewhere like a restaurant or a movie, and most of us can’t drive anymore so it’s nice they take us out on a bus.”

One of the things Despotakis enjoys most about The Village is that no activity is forced.

“Very rarely does anybody knock on your door and say you have to come (to an activity). It’s the sort of thing you can just do if you want to,” Despotakis said.

“Eskaton is a very people-centered company, everything is about the resident,” McGrath said. “Quality of life and the services we provide has to be above and beyond. We look for a special quality of a person to hire, (ones who are) compassionate, like to be around the elderly and have a lot of patience.”

For more information on what Eskaton Village Placerville can offer visit eskaton.org or call 530-295-3400. If you have your eye on one of the new cottages, give Pamela Dallas, sales counselor at Eskaton Village Placerville, a call at the number above or reach her via e-mail at pamela.dallas@eskaton.org.