Casa Sant�Angelo: Peace of mind for retirees

By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -

MIRAMAR| Independent living and peace of mind in a luxurious setting: That’s what Casa Sant’Angelo offers seniors looking for a place to retire.

The small retirement community offers independence, onsite medical care, upscale dining, recreation, a spa, a swimming pool, and social activities within the campus, as well as museums, theaters and shopping centers nearby.

Patterned after others throughout Florida, Casa Sant’Angelo is the first retirement community to be sponsored by the Archdiocese of Miami — and the first to be offered in Broward County in more than a decade.

Jessica Fogg, residency counselor at Casa Sant’Angelo, heard one visitor describe the planned community “as a hotel for seniors.”

“That is exactly what it is,” Fogg said. “You have the opportunity to enjoy, still be active and independent as much as possible, have the privacy of your own apartment with the services, but knowing that if you ever need anything, it’s right there.”

Although Casa Sant’Angelo is not scheduled to open until 2017, reservations are being taken now. Interested retirees had the opportunity to get a glimpse of the community during an open house Jan. 12.

Guests enjoyed refreshments as they viewed renderings and floor plans of the four-story, 10,000 square foot building which will be located within walking distance of St. John XXIII Church, on Miramar Parkway west of I-75.

Casa Sant’Angelo’s 75 independent living apartments, ranging from 1 bedroom/1.5 baths to 2 bedrooms/2 baths, are similar to most townhouses in the area.

Antonio Duen, a parishioner of St. John XXIII who came to the open house, found it comforting that Casa Sant’Angelo’s “Verona” (2 bedroom/2 bath) model was so much like his current townhouse.

“It is something that I believe is comfortable,” said Duen. “We are already getting old, my wife Dolores and I, and this is something that we are going to need in the future.”

In addition to the independent apartments, Casa Sant’Angelo will have 13 assisted living units, 24 memory support units, and in-home health services when needed — which is possible because of the community’s Assisted Living License and partnership with Catholic Health Services. Residents can also keep their current health insurance.

“You’re independent, you’re active, but (if) you have surgery and you’re not feeling well, you can call and the services can be provided in the privacy of your apartment,” said Fogg. “Or as your health progresses, should you need more services, you don’t have to move out of the community, and that really is a peace of mind for anybody because making a decision when you are in a crisis is really difficult.”

Becoming more delicate, health-wise, as one ages is an inevitable reality for all. But as Dora Olsen sees it, the services and care provided in retirement communities like Casa Sant’Angelo make the process manageable.

“The reason is to alleviate all of that stress. Everybody’s gonna get old and everybody’s gonna get infirm and everybody’s gonna pass away. People don’t like to talk about it. Like him,” said Olsen, referring to her husband, Lynne.

Lynne Olsen is a retired US Air Force serviceman. Originally from Chicago, he stayed in South Florida after being stationed at Homestead Air Reserve Base.

“I’ll be 76 next month,” he said.

“That’s not very old, you know,” said his wife. “I know people that are 90. They’re having Super Bowl parties.”

The Olsens are parishioners at Our Lady of Lourdes and residents of the Cutler Bay area. They have been visiting retirement communities such as East Ridge in Cutler Bay, and now Casa Sant’Angelo.

“It’s hard to sell something you haven’t built,” Lynne Olsen said of Casa Sant’Angelo’s preconstruction phase. “But it looks good. I did tear it out (of the paper) and I did find it in the computer. So I saw.”

While the Olsens continue to shop for their future home, they said they will keep Casa Sant’Angelo in mind.

For more information visit www.casasantangelo.org.