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Christ Episcopal Church

CHRISTWOOD APPOINTS EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Christwood, a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Covington, recently appointed the Rev’d Dr. L. Stephen Holzhalb, III, to the position of Executive Officer. Holzhalb has long been associated with Christwood, having been a guiding force in and since its inception.

Holzhalb was Rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Covington in 1994 when Christwood was founded by the vestry. Overseen by a Board of Directors consisting of church and community members, Christwood was the first of its kind to be licensed in Louisiana and the only one on the Northshore. Its mission was, and is, to keep its senior residents active and independent by providing amenities and services that will afford a secure lifestyle in warm, inviting surroundings. By providing a continuum of care, Christwood enables seniors to expand their circle of friends, rather than watch it dwindle, and protect their legacy, while living their Senior years in comfort.

Holzhalb loves to explain the importance of Christwood to the Senior community with a personal story:

“My aging parents were living in New Orleans in Gentilly Terrace in the home they had owned since 1932. Their friends were all passing away; they hardly knew anyone in the neighborhood anymore; and their longtime family home was requiring more and more upkeep. Their time was taken up with making decisions about the house: whom should they contact for bids for roof repairs; whom should they get to cut the grass when their current yard man just quit showing up; whom should they use for a plumber since their plumber of many years had retired. They also had to worry about trying to get to the grocery, drugstore, and anywhere else they needed to go, when it rained. My mother had stopped driving and had already given up taking left turns! It really consumed their life. I tried to stop by to visit them as often as I could. They were always so appreciative of my visits and looked forward to them.

“Then, they chose to move to Christwood. Shortly after they were settled in, I stopped by one afternoon around 5 to have a drink with them, as they and I always looked forward to. As I was going down the hall to their apartment, I met them going the other way. I greeted them with a big smile and told them that I was stopping by for a visit with them. They said, ‘Well, Steve, we wished you had called first. We’re on our way to a friend’s apartment for a drink.’ At first I was taken aback; but, then I realized that that’s what Christwood does. It allows seniors to live life to the fullest – less isolation, less stress, less depending on others.”

Currently, Christwood offers three levels of living: independent, assisted, and skilled nursing.
The Independent Living section consists of 119 apartments (9 different floor plans) with 20,000 square feet of recreational, educational, and social areas. The Health Center is comprised of 30 Assisted Living apartments and 20 private skilled nursing suites.

Christwood is working on plans to build garden homes, which will expand the choices for independent living, and to expand the health center.

Holzhalb is very proud to have been part of the founding of such a vibrant community for Seniors on the Northshore and is looking forward to expanding Northshore Senior living options in the years to come. For more information, contact Christwood at (985) 898-0515.