UNION, Ky. — Judy Damico has been at StoryPoint in Union for about nine months.
The independent and enhanced living facility offers a wide variety of activities.
“We looked at several places; I told my daughter I was getting old and should give up driving because I’m almost 90 ... we got here, and I said 'Yes,'” Damico said.
But many people her age don’t live in a place like StoryPoint.
According to a study from Rhodium Law, as reported by the Northern Kentucky Tribune, Kentucky ranks second overall in the country for independent living difficulty in 2025.
It states 6.1% of Kentucky residents have independent living difficulty, which, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, means “because of a physical, mental or emotional problem, having difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping.”
“I think it’s difficult for elderly people, I’m one of them, to accept the fact that we’re not young or middle-aged anymore," Damico said. "But we have a lot of living to do. And we’ve got to live in an appropriate place that will keep us active and keep our mind working."
Rachel Musson, business development specialist, said beyond activities, StoryPoint offers three meals a day and 24/7 care for people in enhanced living.
“We have seen a lot of residents that have been in their homes declining because of loneliness," Musson said. "Then they come here and their lives just turn around and they really thrive here."“We have seen a lot of residents that have been in their homes declining because of loneliness," Musson said. "Then they come here and their lives just turn around and they really thrive here."
"A lot of people don’t necessarily want to be here. A lot of adult children are bringing their parents here because of the safety concerns they have at their own home. But then once they get here, they see that it’s very different from what they were thinking.”
Brook Wilson, StoryPoint executive director, said poverty and a lack of information are top contributors to Kentucky's struggles with independent living.
“You take care of your own," Wilson said. "You take care of grandma, you take care of great-grandma. Nursing homes were seen as places that you go die and isolate, and it still scares people."
“Power is knowledge, and I think that’s what we lack here in Kentucky.”
When seniors come to the facility, they often form new bonds that help keep them going, said Clinton Spaulding, StoryPoint Life Enrichment director.
“They all adopt you as a grandchild, and that’s the best feeling in the whole wide world, to know that you’re making a difference in their lives,” he said.
Damico said before she moved to StoryPoint, she realized many of her best friends had passed away.
“And I said, 'I can find some new younger friends, and we don’t have to drive,'” she said. “Somebody said, 'Was I coming here to die?' And I said, 'No, I’m going here to live this phase of my life.'"
It's a mindset she and the staff said they're hopeful they can get more people to embrace.