Holiday Birch Heights

An older parent in Derry who is tired of cooking, vacuuming and keeping up a house is the kind of resident Holiday Birch Heights is built around. The community at 7 Kendall Pond Road offers independent living only, in private rental apartments, and Holiday by Atria operates it. Residents keep their own routines while the building handles meals, cleaning and upkeep, and the setting has more of a small-town feel than a large campus.

The monthly rent covers a private apartment, 3 meals a day from the kitchen, housekeeping and linen service, upkeep of the building and grounds, standard utilities and transportation on a set schedule for local errands. A daily lineup of events is part of the package as well. The rent does not cover care or help with medications, and phone, cable or internet may be billed separately, so ask which of those apply.

The building has been refreshed throughout, and washers and dryers sit on each floor, which leaves more room inside the apartments themselves. Residents choose which daily events to join, and the calendar changes each day. Several floor plans are offered, and a particular apartment is only held once a deposit is paid.

Because Birch Heights offers independent living only, families should ask what happens if a resident later needs daily help, and whether outside home care can come into the apartment. Comparing it with other senior living options in Derry helps set expectations on price and services.