Philomena “Phil” Dymond and her husband William “Bill” raised their family in the western Pennsylvania town of Latrobe, about an hour east of Pittsburgh. Phil worked as the president of the Latrobe Area Hospital Board and during her tenure, she merged three local hospitals into one health system. She also served as president of the Latrobe Chamber of Commerce. Phil also stayed busy with both leadership training and motivational speaking.
Phil and Bill were staples and active participants of their community. The couple co-chaired the Saint Vincent College Summer Theatre’s Gala during its fiftieth season. They raised four children and added eight grandchildren to their family. Phil moved to Brightview Perry Hall in 2021 following Bill’s passing.
Q: What drove you to move to Brightview Perry Hall?
Phil: After my husband had a stroke, we moved to Maryland to be closer to my daughters and tried a few different communities before moving to Assisted Living at Brightview Towson. There, they called me the mayor of the dining room. I made sure all the residents got their orders. After my husband passed, I toured a few different independent senior living options. Brightview Perry Hall was the best, and it’s been wonderful!
Q: What are some activities that you enjoy in the community?
Phil: I’ve done a little painting and hope to do more. I do a lot of crossword puzzles, and I enjoy bingo. We also go on bus trip, which are offered every week. I love interacting with residents – when the sales team is showing someone around, they will stop so I can talk with them. I do yoga twice a week and love it. I want to do more SPICE classes, too, but somehow, I seem so busy!
I also recently made over 300 meatballs and sauce with the chef for Italian night. We had a lot of fun and talked about doing it differently next time! In September, we had a craft fair, and at Christmas, we had a really nice dinner.
Q: What is it like interacting with the Brightview Perry Hall team?
Phil: You get to know all the directors, and you don’t feel like they are way above you. [Executive Director] Laura is very open; she is very receptive to concerns and ideas. The Vibrant Living staff, the drivers, the dining servers, everyone makes sure they take good care of you.
Q: What advice would you give to someone considering independent senior living at Brightview Perry Hall?
Phil: It’s a wonderful place to be. Everyone is very supportive. You can be as active as you want or be serene and enjoy your time doing what you like to do. Once you’re here, everybody becomes family. You don’t feel like you’re renting an apartment.
Brightview Senior Living builds, owns, and operates award-winning vibrant senior living communities in eight states along the East Coast: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. We offer senior Independent Living, Assisted Living, Enhanced Care, and Wellspring Village®, a specialized neighborhood for people living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Schedule a personal visit to experience our communities firsthand.
