Philip Y. Kao PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

seriously think about.” 11 Early marketing materials reiterated similar ideas: “A major
benefit of retirement living at Tacoma Pastures is that residents will be relieved of the
physical and emotional stress of maintaining a home and from the anxieties and worries
concerning competent health and convalescent care should they become ill.” For some,
moving to Tacoma Pastures was certainly stressful, and far more nerve-racking than the
adventure many of them paid lip service to. For the board members, Tacoma Pastures
was not just a real estate project, but also a spiritual endeavour. One board member
emphasized to future residents in a newsletter column that: “Tacoma Pastures
represents an innovative approach to solving some of the problems of older Americans.
You will be able to give leadership from within.” 12
Early residents formed an executive committee to act as a liaison between the residents
and the administration. There was a president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary.
Also, standing committee officers were assigned to look after such areas as food service,
recreational activities, health and safety, religious services (e.g. vespers), the history of
Tacoma Pastures, and even the centre library. Tacoma Pastures inaugurated its first few
years by holding many parties and events, including presentations on wills, trusts and
estates; geriatric care; and “the dietary need and nutrition of the mature person.”
Testimonies from the first wave of residents attested to the fine views of the trees,
framed I imagine by their windowsills like a 19 th century Currier and Ives handcoloured
lithograph. One resident said: “I am comforted my family knows I am secure
and that there is excellent health service. I don’t want to be a burden on my children. I
am too independent for that. Besides, I am so active, that Tacoma Pastures is really like
a hotel for me.” The scaled down care free living offered by Tacoma Pastures was also
matched by a certain moral view towards ageing. In the second issue of the Tacoma
Pastures newsletter, some words regarding retirement read: “Maturity is a stage of life
that has special significance. It is a time to put into effect a wisdom that is unattainable
at any preceding age because you have attained perspective.” A certain amount of
optimism sprinkled much of Tacoma Pastures’s early promotional materials. Photos of
angelic nurses tucking in a perfectly manicured bed graced the pages of the Tacoma
Pastures newsletter and brochures. Modern nursing care looked professional; an
11 Quote taken from the Tacoma Pastures Newsletter, Fall 1972, Vol. 2 No. 3
12 Quote taken from the Tacoma Pastures Newsletter, March 1973, Vol.2 No. 1
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