HeartFields Assisted Living at Cary

04/20/2025

Chef Eric and Chef Mark made a special Easter lunch with a carving station! Happy Easter to all! 🐰🐣

02/24/2023

In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting some historical figures who continued making important contributions well into their senior years.

Former U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek was 66 years old when she was elected to represent Florida in Congress in 1992, becoming the first Black Floridian to do so since the Reconstruction era. The daughter of a sharecropper and the granddaughter of a woman who was born enslaved, Meek was a fierce advocate for South Florida’s Black communities, immigrants, and the working poor.

She is a tremendous example of someone who never stopped advancing throughout her life, even in the face of both racial and age discrimination. In fact, when one of her opponents in the 1992 Congressional race tried to turn her age into a campaign issue, Meek saw it as an advantage. “He should continue to say that I’m too old,” she said, “because the folks that are going to get out and vote are going to be my age or around my age, and they’re told every day they’re too old. He’s doing nothing but helping us.”

She never lost a reelection race and went on to serve in Congress for 10 years. She retired from politics in 2003 at the age of 76 but continued to run the Carrie Meek Foundation until 2015. Learn more about Carrie Meek and her life at the links below:

https://bit.ly/3gDcuLJ
https://bit.ly/3BcrnOF

02/17/2023

In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting some important figures in history who continued making meaningful contributions well into their senior years.

Percy Julian is regarded as one of the most influential chemists in the modern age, despite having to endure both overt and systemic racism throughout his life.

With his local high schools unwilling to accept Black students, Julian took high school-level classes at night at DePauw University. Although DePauw gave him the opportunity to continue pursuing his education, it was anything but easy. Due to the segregated nature of the campus, he wasn’t allowed to live in a college dormitory and first stayed in an off-campus boarding home, but that home refused to serve him meals. It took him days to find an establishment where he could eat. Despite all he endured, Julian graduated from DePauw in 1920 as valedictorian.

He went on to earn international acclaim for developing a drug to treat glaucoma in 1935. His work on chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants also laid the foundation for the steroid drug industry's production of cortisone, other corticosteroids and birth control pills. He became the first Black chemist (and second Black person from any field) elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Despite his great success, he still found that his race was a factor in denying him academic and research positions, so he established his own laboratory at the age of 55. After selling his lab at age 64, he then founded the Julian Research Institute, a nonprofit organization that he ran until his death ten years later. Learn more about his life and work here: https://bit.ly/2BfVgzB

02/10/2023

In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting some important figures in history who continued making meaningful contributions during their senior years.

Actress Nichelle Nichols has broken some major color barriers in her career. Her 1966 portrayal of Lieutenant Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series was groundbreaking as she was one of the first Black actresses to play something other than stereotypical maid and housekeeper roles. She was also one of the first Black actors to have a prominent role in a science fiction series. One of the things that made her role on Star Trek so special was that Uhura’s storyline wasn’t focused on race, which helped set a new standard around inclusivity and representation in entertainment.

In fact, when she considered leaving Star Trek for a role on Broadway, a conversation with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed her mind. “For the first time on television, we will be seen as we should be seen every day, as intelligent, quality, beautiful people who can sing and dance, yes, but who can go into space, who can be lawyers and teachers, who can be professors—who are in this day—yet you don’t see it on television until now.”

Nichols’ influence was not limited to the silver screen. From 1977 to 2015, she volunteered her time to promote NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, helping to recruit diverse astronauts, including women and ethnic minorities.

Nichols truly embodies the spirit of “Never Stop Advancing,” as she continued to work well into her golden years. She retired from space advocacy and acting in December 2021 at the age of 88 and passed away in July 2022. Learn more about her historic career here: https://bit.ly/3jsHUJS

02/03/2023

This Black History Month, we’re highlighting some important figures in history who continued making meaningful contributions well into their senior years.

Benjamin O. Davis Sr. broke a lot of glass ceilings throughout his military career. In 1898, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and applied to West Point - The U.S. Military Academy, only to have his application rejected because it was “not politically feasible” for him to attend West Point at that time.

But that didn’t phase him. He continued to work his way up the ranks, becoming a second lieutenant in two years and a first lieutenant in six – a remarkable achievement regardless of race. Although Davis was deserving of advancement, segregation of the armed forces meant he was typically given assignments that would not put him in command of white troops or officers.

Davis was in his 60s when President Franklin D. Roosevelt promoted him to the rank of brigadier general in 1940, making him the first Black general officer in the United States Armed Forces. During World War II, Davis was very influential in the proposed policy of integration using replacement units.

He retired in 1948 after 50 years of service in a public ceremony with President Harry S. Truman presiding. Six days later, Truman issued Executive Order 9981, which abolished racial discrimination in the military. Davis went on to continue being very active in the civil rights movement until his death. Learn more about his amazing career here: https://bit.ly/3rZbkiY

02/02/2023

Happy Groundhog Day! No matter what Punxsutawney Phil says, we know spring is on the horizon! What are you looking forward to this spring?

01/27/2023

We love this inspirational story from Southern New Hampshire University! When 89-year-old Joan Donovan graduated high school at 16, her family couldn't afford to send her to college. But her passion for education drove her to continue taking post-graduate classes at her high school.

Her formal education became less of a priority when she got married and started a family, but she revisited her dream of earning a college degree after her six children grew up and moved away. She recently earned her Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing and received her diploma at a special celebration with her family over the holidays.

"I'm a goal-seeker," Joan told SNHU. "And it was a goal, and I reached it. It's a dream come true, really."

We hope Joan's story inspires you to never stop pursuing your goals! 👏

At Southern New Hampshire University, we believe there are no limits to what you can do, what you can be, or what you can achieve. This is a university that goes the extra mile - so you can too.

01/20/2023

When you reach a certain age, you know that "friends supporting friends" is what it's all about. What a great reminder from the iconic Jamie Lee Curtis that the high tide floats all ships!

Do you have a friend who always cheers you on? Show them some love in the comments!

The shirt was printed with Curtis' reaction to Yeoh's Golden Globes win to celebrate friendship.

12/22/2022

Scrambling to find a holiday gift that will bring joy to your senior loved one? Two great ideas you can pull off at the last minute:
➡️ Book tickets for an experience you can share together – like live performances, wine tastings, or a bus trip or cruise!
➡️ Subscription boxes are a great way to make your loved one feel special all year long and they come in any variety you can think of!

Check out Five Star Senior Living’s full list of gift ideas for seniors and tell us if you plan to try any of them: https://bit.ly/3gLl7aU