Watch: Nathan Lara on Independent Living at Independence Village Naperville

In this Living in Naperville episode, host Dan Firks meets Nathan Lara, executive director of Independence Village, an independent senior living community in the heart of downtown Naperville. Nathan explains why the community was built in a walkable neighborhood setting, what the name Independence Village is meant to signal to residents and their families, and why 95% of the seniors under his roof never have to move to a higher level of care.

Read the full guide to Independence Village in Naperville →

Video Transcript

Dan Firks: Welcome to this episode of Living in Naperville. Today I have the pleasure of meeting with Nathan Lara at Independence Village. Let’s go see what he has to say. So Nathan, tell me, how did you guys come up with this amazing location here in downtown Naperville?

Nathan Lara: The big thing for us, as we were building communities, is we wanted to build something that felt like it was part of the community, something that was in a neighborhood much like the homes that they’ve lived in for years and years. Yeah, the world outside their door was so important to them. So building a community in an area that actually feels and looks like home, in a location that’s right in the heart of our community, was a no-brainer for us. We had the luxury of building our building 40 years ago and couldn’t have picked a better location, right in the heart of downtown Naperville.

Dan Firks: So Nathan, tell me, how did you come up with the name of Independence Village?

Nathan Lara: When we developed our name, we wanted to show seniors that we had an opportunity for them to keep and maintain their highest and best level of independence, whether it’s them participating in it at 100% or us picking up most of the participation with them. We wanted them to know that they could age in place successfully. This is a place where you maintain your highest and best independent adult self.

Dan Firks: Gotcha.

Nathan Lara: Maintenance free living. Cooking without the cleanup, activities without the planning and driving. This is exactly what you’ve worked your hard years for, so you can relax and enjoy retirement.

Dan Firks: So Nathan, tell me, when something happens to a family member, what should they do first?

Nathan Lara: Don’t panic.

Dan Firks: Okay, don’t panic.

Nathan Lara: Yep, that’s one thing that families often do, because that’s our natural reaction. Lean on us.

Dan Firks: Got it.

Nathan Lara: Use our resources. There are so many reasons, but that being one of them, why families have come back to us generation after generation. We’re honored to have families on their second and third generation that are living in our community or have lived in our communities, and that has something to say about Independence Village.

Dan Firks: Coming back in for decades. I mean, that’s amazing.

Nathan Lara: We’re truly and genuinely honored for that.

Dan Firks: So Nathan, tell me, how do seniors age successfully?

Nathan Lara: The big things are physical engagement, mental stimulation, good nutritional diets, and really a day to look forward to. Senior living is about the best parts of getting older, celebrating that and following all the pursuits and interests that you’ve had throughout your lifetime. So we’ll do a lot of social engagements, we’ll take them out into the community, we’ll do lunch outings, we’ll play games in the great room. We’ve got a kitchen upstairs in our resident activity room with baking and cooking classes. These are some of the things that touch on things that they’ve done in their lifetime.

Dan Firks: I love that.

Nathan Lara: And giving them all the tools to do it successfully in a way that’s enjoyable and not a chore.

Dan Firks: Do they do trips? Are there trips that they go on? What kind of trips do they do?

Nathan Lara: So we’ll take trips down to the Riverwalk, we’ll do concerts in the park in the summer, we’ll take out the bus for Christmas, we’ll do the Christmas tour.

Dan Firks: Yeah, that’s kind of cool. So tell me, what are some of the things families should keep their eyes open for when they’re looking for a community like Independence Village?

Nathan Lara: Look for a community that’s selling hope. Look for a community that’s selling tomorrow as a better day. Oftentimes families look at communities and automatically are sold fear. We see these continuum of care communities and they’re basically selling that someday you may need this service.

Dan Firks: Yeah.

Nathan Lara: But nobody has a crystal ball. Nobody can anticipate what their loved one is going to need.

Dan Firks: True.

Nathan Lara: 95% of our seniors who live under our roof never have to move to a higher level of care. They can move in as entirely independent and actually live here all the way through hospice.

Dan Firks: That’s wonderful. What a great place to be. Nathan, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day today.

Nathan Lara: It was our pleasure. Thank you.

Dan Firks: Most welcome. And we’ll see you around town. Be sure to like and subscribe to get updates on our next episode, and for all your real estate needs please visit Naperville.com.

Read the full guide to Independence Village in downtown Naperville →