Construction: Planned

Ohio Golf Course Redevelopment to Include Senior Community 

A plan to turn a golf course into a sprawling apartment development with an included senior living community is moving forward in Sugarcreek Township, Ohio.

The $60 million development, called Rollandia Greene, would also include “The Grand of Sugarcreek,” a community with 123 senior independent living, 57 assisted living and 20 memory care units, according to a press release.

The project from developer Guttman Properties of Cincinnati was OKed by the local township zoning commission and goes to the township board of trustees for approval in November.

Atlas Announces Two $26 Million Communities in Georgia, South Carolina

Atlas Senior Living plans to open two new communities in Columbus, Georgia and Greenville, South Carolina.

Both communities will cost about $26 million and have 167 total units for independent living, assisted living and memory care residents, according to a press release.

Current plans call for breaking ground on the projects in the first quarter of 2018, with construction taking 16 to 18 months.

DMK Development Group will work with Atlas as a financing and development partner.

Methodist Retirement Communities Plans Texas Senior Living Community

Methodist Retirement Communities has announced plans for a new independent, assisted living and memory care community in Fort Worth, Texas.

The community, Stevenson Oaks, will include 159 independent living apartment homes with various amenities, 36 assisted living apartments, 24 memory support suites, 24 rehab suites and 16 skilled nursing suites.

Stevenson Oaks campus will feature multiple dining options and amenities, including a fitness center, auditorium, and dedicated spaces for various activities and wellness programs.

Vantage Point Mulling Community in Delaware

Vantage Point Retirement Living and Ocean Atlantic Companies are eyeing a parcel of land in Lewes, Delaware, as a possible site for a senior living community and medical office building.

Early plans call for a senior-living community with 32 units for memory care, 63 units for assisted living and 80 units for independent living, according to the Cape Gazette. Also proposed are amenities including a movie theater, pub and lounge, salon and spa and a fitness center. The companies are planning to offer rehabilitation services.

Erickson Living Proposes Huge Community Near Baltimore

Erickson Living is planning to build a new senior living community in Clarksville, Maryland.

Early plans call for a development with 1,200 independent living units and 240 assisted living units, reports the Baltimore Sun.

Local officials must approve the project before it moves forward.

New Senior Housing Project Planned for Minnesota

Mesaba Capital Partners and Roers Investments of Long Lake have broken ground on a 97-unit senior housing project in Minnetonka, Minnesota, reports the Star Tribune.

The community will offer independent living, assisted living and memory care services and have such amenities as a club room, coffee shop, wellness center, library, community room and theater.

Non-profit provider Walker Methodist will manage the community.

Clover Group Proposes Independent Living in Ohio

Developer Glover Group is proposing to build an 119-unit independent living community in Olmsted Falls, Ohio.

Though local officials must approve the project before it can move forward, the company expects to begin construction next spring, reports Cleveland.com.

Assisted Living Community Planned for California

Wilson Investment Properties plans to construct a new 140-unit assisted living community in Fairfield, California.

The project will take shape in three phases of development, according to a press release. Hartford Land Management, Designs 1st and Hallmark Funding are also collaborating on the planned community.

Developers Plot 131-Unit Community in Arizona.

A group of developers are planning to open a $38 million assisted living and memory care community in Avondale, Arizona.

TransEquity Development is working with Solterra Senior Living and Drive Development on the 131-unit community, reports the Phoenix Business Journal.

Solterra would operate the community, which is currently expected to open next year.

Assisted Living Planned for Connecticut

Optimus Senior Living has plans for a 120-unit assisted living community in Bozrah, Connecticut.

Plans reported by the Norwich Bulletin call for a $17 million, 100,000 square-foot community. Local officials still need to approve the project, however.

Construction: In progress

Capitol Seniors Housing to Break Ground on Communities in Illinois, Massachusetts

Capitol Seniors Housing has announced it will break ground on two new communities this month: Atria Glenview near Chicago and Stonehill of Andover in Andover, Massachusetts.

Atria Glenview is a $28.4 million, 70,800-square-foot community that will have 83 units, including a 24-unit memory care wing. The community will also have amenities such as a bistro, activity room, theater room, salon and a courtyard, according to a press release.

Stonehill of Andover is a $36.5 million, 81,500-square-foot community that will have 96 units and amenities including a bistro, activity room, fitness room, theater, salon and courtyard. Northbridge Companies will operate that community.

Capitol Seniors Housing also has five other communities under construction: Arbor Terrace Naperville in Naperville, Illinois; Atria Norwood in Norwood, New Jersey; Arbor Terrace Mountainside in Mountainside, New Jersey; Chelsea Senior Living of Shrewsbury in Shrewsbury, New Jersey; and Arbor Terrace Mt. Laurel in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

LifeSpire to Expand Virginia CCRC

LifeSpire of Virginia held an Oct. 19 ceremony to mark the groundbreaking of a $64 million expansion project at its Lakewood continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Richmond, Virginia, according to a press release.

The expansion will add a new four-story clubhouse that will include amenities such as a fitness center, restaurant, lounge a heated pool, and apartments on the upper floors. The work will also include two new residential buildings with individual garages and private outdoor spaces such as covered patios or balconies.

Work Begins for New Community Near Portland

Construction is underway for a new Springs Living community in Lake Grove, Oregon, which is near Portland.

The community will have 216 independent living, assisted living and memory care apartments, according to the Portland Tribune.

South Carolina CCRC Breaks Ground on New Villas

The Woodlands at Furman, a CCRC in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, has broken ground on 28 new villa homes, reports GSABizWire.com.

The community is owned and operated by a local board of directors and managed by Greystone.

Life Care Services Expanding Tennessee Community

Life Care Services is adding 97 new apartments and an 11-unit assisted living wing to its Heritage at Brentwood community in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Plans call for a new auditorium with theater-style seating and an expanded dining room, according to the Tennessean, a local newspaper.

Waters Senior Living to Open Communities in Pennsylvania, Michigan

Waters Senior Living is set to open two communities in Wexford, Pennsylvania, and Excelsior, Michigan.

The Waters of Wexford will have 114 apartment homes available for rent and 29 memory care studios, according to a press release. Seniors who want to move into the community can begin making reservations on Nov. 8. That community is scheduled to open in June, 2018.

The company will also host a ground-breaking ceremony for The Waters of Excelsior on Oct. 25. That community will have 114 apartment homes and 29 memory care studios. Plans also call for a restaurant, cafe, pub, salon and spa and a wellbeing studio.

Work to Begin on Arizona Community

P.B. Bell is poised to start construction for a new senior housing project within a mixed-use community in Glendale, Arizona.

The community, Inspira Arrowhead will have 165 independent living, assisted living and memory care units, according to a press release. Inspira residents will have access to an on-site dog park, a theater room, a salon and massage rooms, an activity room and a bistro.

P.B. Bell is partnering on the project with Cadence Senior Living, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based senior housing development and management company.

Isakson Living Breaks Ground on Age-Restricted Community in Atlanta

Isakson Living announced it broke ground on Peachtree Hills Place, a skilled nursing, assisted living and memory care community in Atlanta that will offer 12 homes and 204 condominiums for homebuyers aged 55 or older.

SunTrust arranged a $117.8 million senior credit facility for the development. Participating banks also included Atlantic Capital Bank, Iberia Bank and Capital Bank.

Move-ins are currently set for the summer of 2019, according to a press release.

Groundbreaking Planned for Washington, D.C. Community

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and other local officials will gather celebrate the groundbreaking of Creekside, a new 127-unit independent and assisted living community next to the existing Ingleside Rock Creek CCRC.

Ingleside is a non-profit senior living organization.

Illinois Community Nearing Opening Date

A new community in Lincolnwood, Illinois, is getting closer to opening its doors.

The Carrington at Lincolnwood, managed by Life Care Services, unveiled its model units over the summer and is on track to open at least 50 of its apartments and common areas by December. The community will have 251 independent, 88 assisted and 44 memory care units, according to a press release.

Planned amenities include multiple dining venues, an indoor pool and fitness center, game room and hair salon, and access to walking trails and other outdoor spots.

Construction: Complete

$145 Million Life Plan Community Opens Near Seattle

A $145 million Emerald Communities life plan community has opened its doors to residents in Gig Harbor, Washington.

The community, Heron’s Key, has 184 independent living apartment homes and 10 cottage homes ranging from 729 to 1,800 square feet. Penrose Harbor, the community’s on-site health center, has 36 one-bedroom assisted living apartments and 45 private skilled nursing beds.

Amenities include multiple restaurant-style dining venues, spa, fitness center, a wood shop and access to walking trails.

Written by Tim Regan

The post In the Pipeline: Senior Housing Construction Projects (10/19/17) appeared first on Senior Housing News.

Construction: Planned

Former National Guard Armory in Pennsylvania to Become Senior Housing

The new owners of a former National Guard armory in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, seek to turn the historic building into a senior living community.

As planned, Z&Z Limited Partnership would build nearly 50 senior homes on the same site as the armory, according to the Daily Item, a local news site.

Local and engineering approvals are expected to be presented for approval later this year.

Construction: In progress

Watercrest Breaks Ground on Memory Care Residences in Florida

Watercrest Senior Living Group on June 30 announced it had broken ground on the Market Street Memory Care Residence, a forthcoming memory care community in Palm Coast, Florida.

The community will open in the summer of 2018 and include an “outdoor” streetscape with a newsstand, art gallery, bakery, salon and spa, and post office.

Community Near Chicago Begins $70 Million Expansion

The Moorings of Arlington Heights, a Presbyterian Homes community in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, recently broke ground on a $70 million addition.

The expansion project will add 70 new assisted living apartments to the campus and a new chapel and fellowship hall, the community announced.

The new assisted living units are slated to open later this year.

Aspire Development and LFW Investments Building Senior Living Community in Florida

A new senior living community is taking shape on Amelia Island in Florida.

The Arbor Company will manage the new resort-like independent living, assisted living and memory care community, according to a press release.

The community, which will open in December, 2018, sits on a 20-acre site with two lakes and will link directly to Amelia’s beaches via a pedestrian pathway.

Allegro Celebrates St. Louis Groundbreaking

Allegro Senior Living recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new community in the St. Louis suburb of Richmond Heights.

When it opens, Allegro’s new community will contain 87 assisted living and memory care units. First occupancy is expected in the fall of 2018.

Workers Break Ground on Texas Community

GoodLife Senior Living has broken ground on a new $3 million assisted living and memory care community in Rockwall, Texas.

The community, called GoodLife Senior Living and Memory Care, will offer assisted living and memory care services in a small home setting, according to a press release.

Plans Proceeding for Multi-Generational Community in Missouri

Norterre, a forthcoming residential, multi-generational neighborhood in Liberty, Missouri, is moving closer to opening.

The first phase of Norterre will debut this fall with the 65,000-square-foot Aurora Health and Wellness Center; The Laurel, a 60-unit residence with assisted living and memory care services; and The Estoria, which will have 20 long-term care residences and 40 short-term stay suites for people of all ages going through rehabilitation.

Both the Laurel and the Estoria will feature the “household model,” in which up to 20 residents share a space that includes an open kitchen, dining room, living room and intimate spaces.

The buildings will surround and face Performance Park, a large greenspace which features a splash pad, a lavender garden, sculptures, seating and walking trails.

Newly completed renderings show community and residential spaces decked out in colorful art.

Ohio Senior Living Community Plots $42 Million Expansion

Dayton, Ohio’s largest senior living community, The Bethany, is poised to start construction on a $42 million expansion.

The 90,000-square-foot addition is slated to start with a “sledgehammer ceremony” on July 11, reports the Dayton Business Journal.

Workers will construct a new building dubbed the “Crescent Crossing,” which will have 74 assisted living units and include a theater, chapel, gathering spaces, coffee and snack bar, and fitness center.

Construction: Complete

Isakson to Hold Grand Opening for Health Services Center Near Atlanta

Developer Isakson Living is scheduled to host a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of its new Park Springs Health Services building 25 miles outside of Atlanta in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

The building sits adjacent to Isakson’s resort-style CCRC, Park Springs, and features the state’s first-ever, built-to-suit household model, the company said. The new facility will include memory care, skilled nursing, adult daycare and an outpatient rehabilitation center.

The ceremony is scheduled for July 11.

Gardant Cuts Ribbon on Community Near Chicago

Representatives from senior living operator Gardant Management Solutions helped celebrate the opening of a new community in Minooka, Illinois, which is about 50 miles from Chicago.

Gardant will manage the affordable assisted living community, which features 101 private studio and one-bedroom apartments, according to a newsletter.

North Carolina CCRC Opens Healthcare Services Building

The Cardinal at North Hills, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Raleigh, North Carolina, announced the opening of a new “health care services building.”

“By reaching this milestone, The Cardinal is now a true continuing care retirement community which can meet the changing health care needs of residents,” the provider announced in a press release.

Sold-Out Senior Housing Opens in Colorado

New senior housing is opening this month at the the Wind Crest community in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, but the units are already sold out.

The new independent living building, Longs Ridge, has 99 apartment homes that filled up quickly, according to Erickson Living, which manages the Wind Crest. The new units have wood floors in the foyer, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, brushed nickel hardware and a combination of recessed and pendant lighting in the kitchen.

Written by Tim Regan

The post In the Pipeline: Senior Housing Construction Projects (7/6/17) appeared first on Senior Housing News.

One Georgia-based senior living provider is bucking the traditional American model of senior care by being the first in the U.S. to implement a UK-based care model centered on empathy.

Isakson Living has recently opened Park Springs, a resort-style continuing care retirement community (CCRC) located roughly 15 miles northeast of Atlanta in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Not only is the community the first in the state to adopt a household model of senior care, it is also the first in the nation to launch Dementia Care Matters’ (DCM) “Butterfly Household Model of Care” for residents living with memory loss.

Changing the narrative

In the 14 years since the company’s inception, Isakson Living had always strived to improve the long-term care it delivers to its residents, explained Andy Isakson, managing partner.

“We’ve always had a great lifestyle proposition and we’ve always had great health care, but we’re looking to improve the lifestyle proposition of [residents] living in long-term [care, so] we adopted the household model of care,” Isakson told Senior Housing News.

Under this model, residents are assembled and taken care of in smaller groups, which operate much like a home, he explained.

The company also sought to revitalize the method of care it provides to residents living with dementia, according to Isakson. After being introduced to DCM, Isakson initiated a conversation with DCM founder and CEO David Sheard to “[change] the narrative nationally,” starting with Isakson Living.

Established in the UK in 1995, DCM’s Butterfly Household Model of Care takes an “emotion-based” approach to providing care for individuals living with dementia, and promotes the importance of a nurturing and empathetic staff. After piloting the program over a five-year period in the UK, DCM branched out to other countries, including Ireland, Canada and Australia.

“We were very nervous and hesitant about going into any other country, where each has its own cultures of care, regulatory system, leadership and nursing,” Sheard told SHN. “But, what was interesting was… we found that the key issues are universal.”

Focus on empathy

The need to focus on the psychology of care lies at the heart of DCM’s Butterfly Model, with the emphasis placed on developing the caregiver’s emotional intelligence in order to make a successful connection with the dementia patient, according to Sheard.

“The only way you create real connections to people with dementia is if you accept that people with dementia are more ‘feeling beings’ than ‘thinking beings,’” said Sheard. “The culture of care has to be one that is more about emotional connection than about the traditional delivery of health care.”

In order for care providers to successfully refine their emotional intelligence, DCM puts them through several workshops where DCM staff, as well as staff from the host community, are invited to share intimate, key moments in their “emotional life journey,” as well as how those experiences have defined them, according to Sheard.

“When dementia takes away the neurons of short-term memory, and takes away the neurons [associated with] positive experiences in life, it’s the tough stuff in life that remains undamaged in people with dementia,” said Sheard. “Therefore, staff have to find a way to understand how people with dementia don’t remember their memories but [actually] live them.”

The year-long program will ultimately encourage care providers to grow their emotional intelligence, and connect with and interpret a dementia patient’s feelings to ensure the best outcomes for their daily life, according to Isakson.

While the Butterfly Model is still in the development stage at Isakson’s Park Springs community, Isakson explained that the company has plans to implement the program at its future community, Peachtree Hills Place in Atlanta.

DCM, on the other hand, is already in talks to implement the Butterfly Model in communities operated by two California-based providers, according to Sheard.

Written by Carlo Calma

The post Isakson Living Imports Dementia Care Model from the UK appeared first on Senior Housing News.

Happy Monday, Senior Housing News readers!

Today’s the big day—it’s almost time for the solar eclipse! It’s scheduled to occur here in Chicago just after 1 p.m. local time, and all of us at Senior Housing News (who managed to track down NASA-approved solar eclipse glasses) will be joining in on the fun, watching from the rooftop of a local grocery store.

This will be the fifth solar eclipse, meanwhile, for Joyce Blum, an assisted living resident in Hampton, Iowa, the Globe Gazette reports. She has previously viewed solar eclipses with astronauts Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Neil Armstrong from places like the Caribbean, the Black Sea, the Andes and the South China Sea. 

Here’s some news to catch up on before your own solar eclipse viewing party:

Some standalone memory care providers, like Anthem Memory Care, are having a rough go of it—but that’s not entirely surprising, according to experts we spoke with.

Aegis Living recently moved its headquarters from Redmond, Washington, to a larger, more thoughtfully designed space in Bellevue, Washington. There were many reasons behind the change of address, but one in particular may ring a bell to most senior housing providers: boosting employee retention.

LTC Properties (NYSE: LTC) is slamming the brakes on its future development plans with Anthem Memory Care after the Lake Oswego, Oregon-based provider failed to raise a certain amount of equity and pay its quarterly rent in full.

Isakson Living is bucking the traditional American model of senior care by being the first in the U.S. to implement a UK-based care model centered on empathy.

Seniors who live in Utah may relish in the fact that the state is considered the “best” state in which to age, according to Caring.com’s “2017 Best and Worst States to Grow Old” report.

Also in the News

5 Million Year Old Fossil Discovery Found During Development of Crestavilla Senior Living—Several fossils, including prehistoric sharks, whales and a six-foot-long tuna were recently discovered at the site of Crestavilla, a senior living community under construction in Laguna Niguel, California.

Written by Mary Kate Nelson

The post Must-Read News: Standalone Memory Care Slump, Aegis’ New HQ appeared first on Senior Housing News.

Movers & Shakers is brought to you by the Senior Housing News Job Board. Browse and apply to management and executive senior living jobs and positions from leading professional firms serving the industry. Employers can post single jobs, purchase job packages or our premium subscription that includes unlimited job posts and editorial coverage for one year. Visit SHN Jobs today.

HCP Names Brian Cartwright Chairman, Appoints Two to Board of Directors

Real estate investment trust (REIT) HCP, Inc. (NYSE: HCP) has announced it appointed Brian Cartwright as chairman of the board. Mike McKee, former executive board chairman and former interim CEO of HCP, announced his retirement earlier this year.

Most recently, Cartwright served on the public company board of Investment Technology Group, an independent broker and financial technology provider. He also served as general counsel of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 2006 to 2009.

The REIT also added Lydia Kennard and Kent Griffin to its board of directors, effective immediately.

Kennard will serve as a member of the board’s audit committee and its compensation and human capital committee. Griffin will also serve as a member of the audit committee, as well as the investment and finance committee.

Kennard served as President and CEO of KDG Development Construction Consulting since 2011, and a principal of Airport Property Ventures, LLC, since 2007.

Griffin, meanwhile, has served as managing director of PHICAS Investors since 2016. He also previously served in the roles of president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of BioMed Realty Trust, Inc.

Additionally, HCP’s board adopted a mandatory retirement age of 75 for directors, with “certain exceptions necessary to ensure an orderly transition of new board members,” the company noted.

Benchmark Senior Living Appoints New CFO

Benchmark Senior Living recently announced that Jerry Kemper has joined the company as senior vice president and CFO.

In his new role, Kemper oversees all financial aspects of the company, including financial planning and analysis, accounting and financial reporting, and managing tax, internal audit, treasury and investor relations functions.

Kemper joins Benchmark from Kindred Healthcare, where he was senior vice president and CFO for that firm’s nursing center division. Prior to joining Kindred, Kemper was an officer for ADDIT and for 11 years served as vice president of finance for Genesis Healthcare.

Overall, he brings to Benchmark more than two decades of operational and strategic financial management experience in the health care and long-term care industries.

Ryan Companies CEO to Step Aside, Assume Chairman Role

Senior living, health care and real estate development firm Ryan Companies US announced that its president and CEO, Pat Ryan, will step aside from his current duties on June 1 to become chairman of the company’s board of directors.

Brian Murray will assume the CEO position in Ryan’s place. Along with owners Jeff Smith and Mike McElroy, Murray has helped lead the company’s day-to-day operations for the last five years. As part of the transition, Smith will take on the role of president, while McElroy will be the company’s CIO. Tim Gray, who currently chairs the company’s board of directors, will assume the title of chairman emeritus.

The transition, which was part of a succession plan developed over several years, marks the first time in Ryan Companies’ 80-year history that non-family members will lead the company.

Morning Pointe Senior Living Announces New Executive Vice President

Morning Pointe Senior Living has appointed Aaron Webb as its new executive vice president. The company is the developer, owner and manager of 30 communities in five states in the Southeast.

Webb now oversees the company’s developmental strategies and lead in the daily management of Morning Pointe’s operations.

He comes to Morning Pointe from Life Care Centers of America, where he provided business counsel as the executive vice president. In total, he has more than 20 years of strategic business, financial and legal experience.

Atria Promotes Employee to Lead North Jersey Region

Atria Senior Living has promoted one of its executive directors, Karol Gorniak, to the role of regional vice president. The move is part of Atria’s strategy to enhance its presence and increase its business support in the North New Jersey markets where it does business, the company said.

Atria’s newly formed “North Jersey” region in New Jersey now includes the Atria Cranford in Cranford; Atria Roseland in Roseland; Atria Norwood in Norwood; and Atria Waldwick in Waldwick, which is scheduled to open early 2019.

In his new role, Gorniak will oversee operations, service and care delivery for the region. Gorniak previously served as executive director for Atria Roseland and has 25 years of experience in leadership, customer service and operations management.

Isakson Living Hires Vice President of Operations

Isakson living has named Donna Moore to the role of vice president of operations.

In her new role, Moore will oversee operations and work closely with the executive director and associate executive director in charge of health services at the company’s Park Springs and Peachtree Hills Place communities.

Prior to joining Isakson Living, Moore served as the registrar and director of Georgia’s Office of Vital Records. She also ran her own consulting business for 14 years. In total, Moore has 30 years of management and leadership experience.

Ziegler Adds Senior Vice President to Senior Living Investment Banking Team

investment bank and full-service brokerage firm Ziegler recently announced the addition of Aaron Schroeder as senior vice president to its investment banking team in senior living finance.

Schroeder, who is based in Ziegler’s Milwaukee office, is now responsible for providing investment banking services to not-for-profit senior living providers in the Midwest, as well as credit, covenant and deal structuring oversight for the firm’s national senior living practice.

Schroeder previously worked at Ziegler from 2003 to 2014. During that time, he provided technical and documentation support for more than 50 bond underwriting and bank placement transactions.  Prior to rejoining Ziegler, Schroeder was assistant director of corporate strategy at Northwestern Mutual.

KeyBanc Names Managing Director for Municipal Underwriting Team

KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. has appointed Matthew O’Grady as a managing director with its municipal underwriting team.

O’Grady, who will be on Key’s trading desk in New York City, is a 20-year industry veteran who will be involved with high-yield trading and underwriting for senior living and health care markets. He will also serve as the primary contact for Key’s public finance bankers in the health care space.

Most recently, he was a managing director at Piper Jaffray. Previously, he was responsible for the creation and sale of bonds for senior living and healthcare entities at Red Capital and H. J. Sims & Co.

HDC MidAtlantic Appoints New President and CEO

Affordable housing nonprofit HDC MidAtlantic has appointed Dana Hanchin as the organization’s new president and CEO. HDC MidAtlantic owns, develops and manages more than 3,700 affordable apartments for seniors, people living with disabilities and families in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.

Hanchin comes to the nonprofit from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) of Philadelphia, where she served as deputy director for five years and oversaw strategic priorities, business development and community development lending.

Integral Community in Houston Names Executive Director, Marketing Director

The Shores at Clear Lake Senior Living, a Houston senior living community set to open this summer, has named LaTanya Jules as its new senior executive director and Vera Steinmetz as director of sales and marketing.

Jules is a 16-year veteran of the the senior living and care industry, and has been with The Shores at Clealake’s management company, Integral Senior Living, since 2006. Prior to joining Integral, she managed the business operations for a produce company and was an administrator for an adult dementia program.

Steinmetz has 15 years of experience in the senior living industry and has held positions such as business office manager, marketing mentor, and regional sales and marketing manager.

Dallas CCRC Gets New Executive Director

Presbyterian Village North, a faith-based continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Houston, has named Bryan Cooper to the role of executive director.

Cooper, who brings to the CCRC more than 10 years of experience in the senior living industry, is now responsible for overseeing the community’s daily operations, managing marketing, community outreach, financial operations, programming and strategic planning.

Previously, he served as the executive director of The Forum at Park Lane for a period of about four years.

California CCRC’s Health Center Hires Administrator

OakView Health Center, which provides skilled nursing, assisted living and memory care services to the University Village Thousand Oaks CCRC in Thousand Oaks, California, has appointed Jeannette Ruggiero as its new administrator.

As administrator, Ruggiero will manage day-to-day operations, including resident satisfaction, regulatory compliance, financial management and employee engagement. Prior to joining OakView in 2010, Ruggiero worked in a human resources capacity at United Imaging in Woodland Hills, California, and at Amgen in Thousand Oaks.

EPOCH Community Hires Food Service Director

Waterstone at Wellesley, an independent and assisted living community managed by EPOCH Senior Living in Wellesley, Massachusetts, has named Kevin Shimer as its food service director.

In his new role, Shimer will oversee all dining room operations, create daily menus for residents, manage food ordering and assist the dining team with cooking and plating.

Shimer, who has more than 40 years of culinary experience, previously served as executive chef for the Massachusetts State House as well as for several gubernatorial campaigns. He also spent seven years as chef manager for Wellesley College’s Stone Davis Dining Hall.

National Lutheran Communities & Services Names Sales Director

National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS) recently announced it named Allison Combs as its sales director. This is a newly created position that will help the provider oversee sales efforts and initiatives throughout its family of brands.

Combs brings over 20 years of sales experience to the role, including seven with the National Lutheran family. Previously, she held the role of sales counselor at The Village at Orchard Ridge in Winchester, Virginia, before taking a corporate marketing specialist position at NLCS. She then returned to Orchard Ridge in 2013 as director of sales and marketing, where she led the sales and marketing efforts for the community’s second expansion phase.

Frampton Construction Adds Preconstruction Manager, Administrative Assistant

Frampton Construction, a regional construction firm with senior living clients throughout North and South Carolina, has added Brandon Denney as assistant preconstruction manager and Hailey S. Gilbert as administrative assistant.

Denney previously worked with Balfour Beatty Construction is a graduate of Southern Polytechnic State University. Gilbert is a recent graduate of Coastal Carolina University.

Written by Tim Regan

The post Movers & Shakers: HCP Board Chair, Benchmark CFO, Ryan Cos. CEO appeared first on Senior Housing News.

Tyson Belanger has slept in his office since mid-March.

Belanger, owner of Shady Oaks Assisted Living in Bristol, Connecticut, gave up his home next door to the 36-unit facility for staff members to live in during the coronavirus pandemic. Other staff are living in five recreational vehicles Belanger purchased, and still others are living in empty units within Shady Oaks as part of a two-month initiative where staff moved on site to care for residents.

In total, 17 employees have moved into or next door to Shady Oaks, at a cost of $40,000 per month. Belanger is footing the bill from his personal savings, he told Senior Housing News.

Shady Oaks is not unique. Larger providers such as Juniper Communities, Generations and Isakson Living have created staffing “bubbles” at communities to better care for residents, limit interaction from the outside, and address staffing shortages that arose from workers choosing to stay at home rather than risk exposure to the virus. In the process, teams are learning more about their buildings and leaning on each other more for general wellness.

For every large provider with the ability to absorb the additional expenses for an extended period of time with staffing bubbles, there are smaller operators such as Shady Oaks that risk financial ruin in order to protect their residents.

Staff step up

When the first coronavirus clusters emerged in Washington state in late February, Isakson Living ran scenarios to determine how to respond to the virus if it spread across the country, COO Donna Moore told SHN. The Roswell, Georgia-based operator owns and manages two life plan campuses — Park Springs in Stone Mountain and Peachtree Hills Place in Atlanta.

When it became clear by mid-March that the best way to protect residents was to limit interaction and secure facilities, Isakson asked employees at Park Springs to live on the 61-acre campus for up to four weeks. Of Park Springs’ 300 employees, 60 immediately volunteered, before any of them knew what it meant for them logistically or how they would be compensated for their efforts. After an initial commitment of two to four weeks, 90% of the initial staffing cohort signed on for extensions, and more workers joined them. Park Springs now has 75 workers living on campus, committed to stay through May 30, Moore told SHN.

Isakson purchased air mattresses for staff moving onto Park Springs’ campus. Some staff are living in empty apartments, cottages and free-standing homes. Others, including Moore, are living in tents within the facility. All are putting in 12- to 16-hour workdays.

Courtesy of Isakson Living Courtesy of Isakson Living

“It is exhausting. It is laborious. It is exhilarating. It’s all of those things, but we have built such an amazing camaraderie and we take care of each other,” she said.

Four Park Springs staff members tested positive for Covid-19 in mid-March, were told to quarantine and have recovered. Two residents were exposed to the virus while visiting hospitals for separate, non-Covid issues.

“One fully recovered before we even got the results back. One is an active case that we have right now that we’re taking care of, and that individual is back on the mend,” Moore said.

A third resident died in hospice care of a separate issue, but was also exposed to the virus.

Juniper Village at Brookline, a Juniper Communities senior living and memory care facility in State College, Pennsylvania, decided to create a staff bubble because no residents were showing symptoms for Covid-19, even as confirmed positive cases for the virus continued to climb in Centre County, Pennsylvania. Leadership wanted to keep it that way, Juniper Communities Regional Director of Operations Anne Campbell told SHN. The Bloomfield, New Jersey-based operator as a portfolio of 22 communities.

Juniper worked out a deal with an RV dealership near Brookline to rent vehicles, establishing a camp in the parking lots. The volunteer cohorts were set up into smaller teams, assigned to different buildings within the campus. To date, Juniper Village at Brookline has not had any positive cases.

Generations LLC set up bubbles at two communities, Wheatland Village in Walla Walla, Washington, and Cherrywood Village in Portland, Oregon, President Chip Gabriel told SHN. The Clackamas, Oregon-based provider operates seven communities in five states, at middle-market price points.

Generations is paying associates an additional $50 per night to live in empty apartments, working 12-hour shifts and providing meals.

Having staff live in a facility is not a new concept, Seasons Living President and COO Dan Williams told SHN. Based in Lake Oswego, Oregon, Seasons 15 communities across seven states, and has a robust development pipeline.

Williams started his senior living career in 2002 as an executive director for Holiday Retirement, living in a community. Back then, Holiday hired couples as managers and co-managers for their communities, with the idea that living in a building would be the fastest way to learn about operations, work-life balance and the residents under their care.

“We rotated shifts. You’d have the manager couple work for four days and then the co-manager couple would work four days, then they overlap on one day,” he said.

In 2016, Holiday began to phase out this management model. It was a “fabulous” approach, but finding and retaining couples to fill the live-in roles became too difficult, Holiday CEO Lilly Donohue told SHN in 2018.

However, the Covid-19 experience could help resuscitate the idea of staff living on-site in senior living. Williams, for one, sees opportunity for providers to change their staffing models for a more prolonged period of time. He envisions a sustainable model of moving staff into and off site for two or three week blocks, followed by an equal isolation period, particularly in areas where it is likely that a flare-up arises.

“Let’s lock down and get our employees to come stay with us. Let’s look at that scenario,” he said.

Higher expenses

These bubbles may be the gold standard in limiting the risk of Covid-19 but they add significantly to costs at a time when senior living operators are already trying to cope with soaring expenses.

Generations is paying volunteers living on site an extra $2 per hour, as well as increased personal time off benefits by 50%, with the caveat that staff are required to take that time off once the outbreak subsides, Gabriel told SHN.

Non-bubble workers at Juniper Village at Brookline are being put to work doing spring cleaning on campus, fetching supplies and shopping for people in lockdown, and delivering meals to the families of staff working on site, Campbell said.

This is resulting in higher expenses, although she could not place a figure.

“In our mind, the benefits of keeping people safe and healthy outweighs the cost,” she said.

Isakson is offering front-line associates time and a half for all work beyond 40 hours, as well as earning a weekly bonus stipend, depending on the role.

The provider also placed workers who did not volunteer to move to Park Springs on PTO and, once those benefits expired, immediately furloughed them so that they could collect unemployment, Moore said.

“That was a conscious decision: they’re still members of our employee body and I needed to make sure that they had some means of income,” she said.

Larger providers can weather these hits to their margins. Smaller providers such as Shady Oaks run the risk of financial ruin as the pandemic continues.

Even though Shady Oaks is receiving $343,243 from the Payroll Protection Program, as well as a smaller amount of donations from a PayPal link on the facility’s website, Belanger is still running this cohort at a loss, and called for federal and state governments to find ways to fund long-term care facilities during the crisis in a recent New York Times op-ed.

“[It’s a] pretty significant loss, but it’s not as dire as when I first got into this,” he said.

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Peachtree Hills Place doesn’t just resemble a high-end, exclusive club — it also includes one.

Located on the campus of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in the Atlanta neighborhood of Buckhead, Peachtree Hills Place caters to older adults who want to downsize and desire the security of senior housing, but still want to own their dwellings.

Peachtree Hills Place eschews the idea of a typical entrance fee and instead offers membership to the community, which includes both a private club with a variety of amenities and access to health care on a fee-for-service basis. The community caters to older adults who want to maintain the active, high-end lifestyles they led before they moved in, according to Andy Isakson, managing partner of Peachtree Hills Place’s owner and operator, Isakson Living.

“As a condominium project, it’s at the top of the market here in Atlanta … and our club is comparable to any of the high-end country clubs,” Isakson told Senior Housing News. “And then you add on to that the life care proposition of having health care there on site, should you ever need it.”

The community’s country club-style design, along with its access to high-end wellness and care services, helped the project take top honors in the 2020 Senior Housing News Architecture & Design Awards’ “Best 55+” category.

The concept

The planning process for Peachtree Hills Place began nearly two decades ago. Isakson originally put the 55+ community’s site, a former apartment complex, under contract in 2003. Within a few years, Isakson Living and architectural firm Foley Design had landed on a final design for Peachtree Hills Place, and the project was moving steadily ahead with marketing until it hit a wall: the beginning of the Great Recession.

“We made a deal with [the property’s owners] got it rezoned, then started marketing in 2006,” Isakson said. “We sold close to 60% of the units when 2008 came along.”

As home values plummeted and financial distress spread across the country, Isakson put the Peachtree Hills Place project on hold. Then in 2014, the project was resurrected with some changes from the previous design.

“It was a good project both times,” Isakson said. “The first time was poor timing, and the second time was good timing. But we did learn some things.”

Though the project was successful in the end, it did encounter some challenges during the design process, such as an uneven site, according to Bryce Jennings, a principal with Foley Design who worked on the project.

“The building site … slopes tremendously, and it’s probably a 60- to 70foot drop from one side to the other,” Jennings told SHN. “Trying to figure out how to bring people in and approach the building and set up views was quite a puzzle to figure out, but it all worked out really well.”

The iteration of Peachtree Hills Place that exists today is slightly larger than the first design, with plans for 197 condos spread across five four-story buildings alongside 12 custom-built, single-family homes.

Foley Design Foley Design

Welcoming residents into the community is a covered porte cochere and guardhouse that serves as a grand entryway. The building’s exterior design is reminiscent of Tudor architecture, and its interior carries an air of sophistication with custom artwork, natural stone, warm colors, stained wood, large doors and oversized transom windows.

“It’s not just the architecture, it’s the furniture, it’s the artwork and it’s the sculptures,” Jennings said. “Put all those things together, and it starts to become a much more grand clubhouse feel.”

Other community amenities include a central courtyard; rooftop patio; a ballroom that can serve multiple purposes; a fitness center with an indoor pool, Pilates studio and hot tub; and a wellness center where residents have access to preventative health services. The 20-acre campus also has walking trails, a dog park and space for gardening outdoors.

Residents also have access to two regulation-size croquet courts — something that is a selling point among the community’s resident base.

“We found that they seem to all play croquet,” Isakson said. “So, when we redesigned the project for a second time, we saw that we could do two full-size croquet courts in the courtyard around the condominiums, and we did.”

In addition to buying their condos — providing a source of home equity — residents must also sign up to become members of the company’s private club. Doing so requires paying a one-time fee of $100,000 plus monthly payments after that.

“The club takes care of the amenities … and there is some income that comes our way that helps us manage it,” Isakson said.

The construction

Workers broke ground on Peachtree Hills Place in the fall of 2017, and the first phase opened in January of 2020. Construction on the first phase was smooth with a few weather-related delays, and the project is within its total budget of $272 million, Isakson said.

Much of that success is due to the fact that all of the project’s partners — including general contractor New South Construction and interior design firm The Interiors Studio — coordinated throughout the construction process to see it through.

“Everybody had to be very dedicated for a long period of time to get this thing done,” Jennings said.

Construction on the project’s second phase is currently underway, and is slated to open later this spring or in the early summer — a year earlier than what was originally planned due to the success of the project’s first phase.

The completion

Though the community’s first phase opened just before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has sold well, and today is completely full. But getting there was challenging at times.

While Isakson Living had moved in about 25 Peachtree Hills Place residents before the pandemic hit, most of the company’s move-ins occurred in the midst of Covid-19. But a strong housing market throughout the resulting economic downturn also added to the project’s success.

“We closed with the majority of our units after Covid, and moved everybody in after Covid,” Isakson said. “But it did add a level of work and complexity.”

David Dillard, associate principal and senior living practice leader with HKS and a Design Awards judge, praised the project for its elegant design and feeling of exclusivity for residents.

“If the mission was to create a place like no other for residents with little financial restriction, this project delivers,” Dillard said. “I really like what the client and design team have accomplished.”

And Isakson says the community has impressed an even more important judge: the discerning older adults who make up the company’s client base.

“It’s a pretty tough customer here,” he said. “But it is a wonderful community that I’d put up against anything I’ve seen in the country.”

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Middle-market senior living has commanded a lot of attention recently, with demand set to rapidly expand in the coming years. But luxury senior living continues to hold great appeal for developers, investors, operators and — most encouragingly — consumers.

Watermark Retirement is certainly not shying away from the luxury market.

The Tucson-based company’s development pipeline is entirely focused on high-end communities, Chairman David Freshwater told SHN last week. And, Watermark’s recently opened community in Brooklyn Heights took the top spot on a recent list of the priciest assisted living communities, as compiled by LivingPath.

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Movers & Shakers is brought to you by the Senior Housing News Job Board. Browse and apply to management and executive senior living jobs and positions from leading professional firms serving the industry. Employers can post single jobs, purchase job packages or our premium subscription that includes unlimited job posts and editorial coverage for one year. Visit SHN Jobs today.

Grace Management Adds National Dining Director

Grace Management recently named Max Rasquinha as national director of dining services.

In his new role, Rasquinha will provide direction, support, and training for all Grace Management dining services throughout its senior living communities.

Rasquinha comes from the hospitality industry, where he worked for more than 25 years. He also previously worked in the senior living industry as an executive director and area director.

Isakson Living Hires Neurologist, Names HR Director

Sonya Marsh is taking a leadership role as director of human resources of Isakson Living. The company also hired neurologist Dr. Joash Lazarus to work on staff at its Park Springs Life Plan Community and Peachtree Hills Place properties.

Marsh is a 15-year human resources veteran, and at Isakson she is tasked with recruiting, retaining and developing workers.

As an on-staff neurologist, Lazarus will provide services such as educational seminars, neurological evaluations, and individualized prescriptive programs that may include medications, therapies or other supportive living strategies.

Health Dimensions Group Hires VP of Sales and Marketing

Senior living management and consulting firm Health Dimensions Group announced Stephanie Signore as its new executive vice president of sales, marketing, and communications.

Signore is a 20-year senior living industry veteran who most recently served as a director of sales and marketing for 33 skilled nursing and assisted living centers in the Midwest.

Integral Senior Living Names Regional Sales Director

Integral Senior Living named Jessie Wiens to the position of regional manager of sales and marketing and Tara Wietor to the position of national director of project management.

Wiens comes to the ISL corporate team after working as director of sales and marketing at Sage Spring Senior Living. She has more than 10 years of project management experience in the senior living industry overall.

New EVP and Chief of Staff at Bridge Housing

San Francisco-based affordable housing nonprofit Bridge Housing named Thuong Luong as executive vice president and chief of staff.

Luong’s responsibilities are slated to include oversight of real estate development, portfolio and asset management, property management, and day-to-day leadership.

Prior to joining Bridge , Luong was chief investment officer of Gehr Hospitality. She is set to assume her new responsibilities on Jan. 31.

Engal Burman Names CFO of Development Division

Engel Burman announced William Stelma will serve as CFO of the company’s development division, replacing Andrew Levy who will be named financial advisor emeritus.

The transition will take place in the coming months, according to a press release.

Standard Communities Names New Director of Capital Markets

Standard communities has promoted Jessica McKenzie to the position of senior director of capital markets.

McKenzie joined Standard Communities in 2019 and has since arranged the financing of over 30 transitions with a total capitalization of $1.5 billion, according to the company

Sherpa CRM Co-founder Begins New Chapter

David Smith recently announced that he is stepping away from day-to-day duties at Sherpa CRM.

Smith founded Sherpa CRM, a sales platform for senior living, eight years ago with Alex Fisher.

In his new chapter, he is working as executive producer on a feature-length documentary about emotions that older adults face. He also is continuing in his role as co-founder and owner of The Gatesworth Communities, a network of senior living communities in St. Louis.

OneDay Hires VP of Sales, Director of Product Management

OneDay has named Dan Dionne as vice president of sales and Ryan Gray as director of product management.

Dionne most recently held the position of sales director for the online automotive marketplace CarGurus. Gray has 14 years of experience, and previously worked at KPMG as the director of digital consulting.

The post Movers & Shakers: Grace Management’s New Dining Director; Isakson Living Hires Neurologist, Names HR Leader appeared first on Senior Housing News.

Movers & Shakers is brought to you by the Senior Housing News Job Board. Browse and apply to management and executive senior living jobs and positions from leading professional firms serving the industry. Employers can post single jobs, purchase job packages or our premium subscription that includes unlimited job posts and editorial coverage for one year. Visit SHN Jobs today.

Isakson Living names vice president of health

Isakson Living has named Greg Heath as vice president of health care for its life plan communities.

As VP of health care, Heath will be responsible for administering and coordinating the operations of the health care divisions of Isakson Living. Concurrently, he will also serve as the executive director of The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place.

Heath brings with him more than 30 years of leadership experience in health care and long-term care management. Most recently, he was responsible for the operations and quality of care for an Atlanta-based community with more than 200 employees.

Retirement Unlimited, Inc. hires regional director of HR

Retirement Unlimited, Inc. announced the hiring of Destanee Batts as regional director of human resources.

Batts has over six years of experience in human resources, with her most recent position being a HR consultant where she oversaw HR operations at health clinics across 15 states.

She has held titles including HR consultant, HR manager and assistant executive director for a memory care community.

River Ridge at Avon welcomes executive director

River Ridge at Avon, an assisted living and memory care community in Avon, Connecticut, announced the appointment of Kevin O’Connell as executive director.

O’Connell brings more than 20 years of experience to the position. Prior to joining River Ridge at Avon, he served as CEO of a large continuing care community in North Canaan, Connecticut. Before that, he was vice president of “one of the nation’s largest senior healthcare providers” for seven years.

The Carrollton Senior Living adds executive director

The Carrollton Senior Living in New Orleans announced it added new executive director Sai Raj Kappari on Sept. 26.

Kappari has been involved in senior housing since 2012, where he got his start as a consultant.

The Carrollton Senior Living is operated by Liberty Senior Living.

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