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Community Corner

The Clare Residents Take Advantage of Chicago's Never-Ending Opportunities Thanks To Concierge Becky Tuttle

“Culture is very important to the residents who live here,” said Becky Tuttle, concierge at The Clare. The retirement community is perfectly situated in the heart of the Gold Coast, to accommodate residents’ every wish in terms of cultural outings, travel and fine dining and Tuttle is there to help.

Tuttle, who has worked at The Clare for four years, has an extensive background in special event and catering sales in Chicago. “I worked with all of the major venues in the city,” she said. She also has experience in theater, having been a professional performer across the U.S. and Europe. “I’ve worked in Paris, Germany, Austria, Italy and more.”

At The Clare, Tuttle’s responsibilities are those of both a hotel concierge and a personal concierge. “There’s a never-ending source of interesting opportunities for people to take advantage of all over the city. There are so many fun tours and lectures. Our residents absolutely love the symphony, theater, opera, special exhibits at the museum and music at Grant Park,” she said. Tuttle helps to secure tickets, make reservations, coordinate outings, plan itineraries for visiting family members, and make flight arrangements. She’ll also help residents identify and register for continuing education programs. “We have quite a few residents taking courses at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University,” she said.

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Tuttle also books The Clare’s guest suites for family members, handles coordinating The Clare’s on-demand Town car service, and schedules appointments at the Marilyn Miglin Salon at The Clare.

On a more personal concierge level, Tuttle often helps residents who may not be computer savvy. “I get a lot of requests for help with anything that has to be done online,” she said. “I’ve helped with food and wine orders, patio furniture delivery, really anything that the residents need.” When residents travel, Tuttle puts their newspaper and mail deliveries on hold. “I take the worry and hassle out of travel,” she said.

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Tuttle believes that her role of an authentic concierge is unique for retirement communities.  “Our residents are always interested in finding new places to go and new things to try. This is a dynamic and active group of people and I try to stay one step ahead of them so I can be most helpful,” she said.

Tuttle said it’s ironic that sometimes seniors worry about having to give up their interests and hobbies when they move into a retirement community. The opposite is true at The Clare, she said. “We have such easy access to all of the wonderful amenities in Chicago, that many of our residents participate in ways that were just too inconvenient or inaccessible when they were living elsewhere. Our location opens up unbelievable opportunities, and I love helping to discover them.”

The Clare at Rush and Pearson is a continuing care retirement community in the heart of Chicago with incomparable lifestyle, amenities and the financial stability only a debt-free community can offer.  The Terraces at The Clare, which provides assisted living, memory support, rehabilitation and skilled nursing, has earned the 5-star quality rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Clare is owned by Chicago Senior Care and managed by Life Care Services.  For more information visit: www.theclare.com or call 312-784-8100.

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