January 27, 2025

A Little Luxury Inside Frontier Estates

BY:  Haley Jones, Director of Marketing and Development

Frontier Estates is the home for many residents aged 62 and over in Abilene.  This independent community for low-income seniors provides an abundance of amenities including a full-service salon with a menu of services such as manicures, pedicures, hair coloring, perms, roller sets, flat ironing, and curling.

Residents of Frontier Estates eagerly wait for Thursdays as they anticipate the ultimate pampering from Patty Veal.  Patty, a veteran Cosmetologist of 46 years, and owner of New Beginnings, a salon on Deer Road in Abilene, also runs the beauty salon on the first floor of Frontier Estates.  To her knowledge, this in-house salon has been in operation for at least 20 years; she is uncertain if the salon has been there since the business opened in 1978.

Patty first began providing services at Frontier Estates 12 years ago.  Several residents were already her clients, and this eventually led to an opportunity allowing her to run the salon at Frontier Estates.  Patty ran the salon consistently for four years having the backup of another woman, Paula.  As time passed, these women worked together, switching roles from primary cosmetologists to being the backup for each other when needed.  Just recently, Patty has found herself back in the lead position again, and she is excited to share the changes that have occurred in the last year.

The salon has recently undergone some renovations, including new cabinets and the hair washing station.  Looking ahead, Patty hopes to replace the chairs and possibly the hair dryers to further improve the in-house salon.  Another enhancement for the total salon experience is the added coffee bar offering a variety of flavors for her clients as they wait for their appointments.  She explains, “They wait outside of the salon doors and visit with each other until it’s their turn.”  Patty also provides a small retail corner stocked with shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, and other supplies for the residents’ convenience.

The first task that Patty takes care of when she arrives on Thursday is warming the towels.  “The ladies love their warm towels,” she says.  Although the salon is small, she wants it to provide a full-service experience.  She is excited to be able to do nails now, which is a new feature she has recently added, incorporating stamping plates and glitter for a little extra fun.  “One of the ladies was so appreciative of the added features she said, ‘This is such an inexpensive luxury’ and it feels really rewarding to provide these things here,” says Patty.

Patty’s dedication to ensuring that every resident receives personalized care makes Thursdays a day to look forward to at Frontier Estates.  Nichole Carney, Frontier Estates Manager, expressed her appreciation for the salon and the changes Patty has made adding, “I have never managed a property with a salon inside of it.  It’s a great asset for the Frontier Estates community.”  This fully licensed salon is just one of the many features provided for residents of Frontier Estates.  For more information on this facility and what it can offer, please visit https://mhsks.org/frontier_estates/ or call 785-263-1080. 

MHS News