Senior living options in Lexington are expanding exponentially. With a focus on modern needs and quality of culture and experiential living, these new facilities aim to wholly update the often dreary, joyless image of last generation’s nursing homes.
Instead, new independent and assisted living options give seniors and their families choices about levels of care, amenities and the way they want to define the next chapter in life.
“Senior living is expanding to meet the needs of many different people, age ranges, tastes and interests,” said Jacqueline Kennedy, director of sales and marketing at Legacy Reserve. “Seniors are starting to look for a place at a younger age and want more modern amenities and the flexibility to enjoy community opportunities as well as continue to pursue their personal interests outside the community as well.”
Lauren Ashley German, community relations director at Highgrove at Tates Creek, tied the changes to the power-in-numbers Baby Boomer generation.
“2.5 million Baby Boomers across America will turn 70 this year,” German noted. “And thanks to medical advances, improvements in health care and modern medicine, the new 70-year-olds can expect to live up to 15 years longer than their ancestors.”
The resulting surge in demand is being met by a boom in senior living options in Lexington.
“We as an industry have learned over the past 20 years that people don’t thrive in institutional settings — they thrive in more home-like settings,” said Todd Spittal, chief operating officer at Provision Living, which will open a facility next year in Beaumont.
Culture and community
“This is a totally new phase in senior living, and we’re really trying to revolutionize how senior living is defined,” said Michael Berg, executive director at Magnolia Springs in Lexington. “What we’re seeing more and more as a trend is it’s not just about the building: It’s about the culture; it’s about the community; it’s about the people.”
Magnolia Springs is unique in that it is a nonprofit, created in 2008 by a couple in their 80s who wanted to use their success to give back by providing an environment for seniors that off ers more. Magnolia Springs provides independent and assisted living, with a separate area for memory care, however there is no skilled nursing care. This makes it truly a senior living community, where all individuals are mobile and active. Assisted living, for example help with bathing and medication monitoring, all takes place in the privacy of a resident’s own apartment.
“We’ve set up the community to not feel medical at all,” said Berg. “There are a lot of senior living options, just not a lot of senior living options like this.”
Other new senior living facilities offer on-site nursing services, called personal care options.
“Personal care is similar to assisted living, but in Kentucky you have the option to license as personal care so that you can provide that higher level of service,” explained Leigh Ann Barney, chief operating officer at Trilogy, parent company of The Willows at Fritz Farm.
Unlike a traditional nursing home, senior living that features personal care is less institutional and more independent than many people realize.
Lexington’s strong position
Lexington, in particular, offers a strong market for new options in senior living, with many new facilities just opening or under construction.
“Not only is it affordable when compared to some of our big city neighbors like Cincinnati, Nashville or Louisville, Lexington is also home to one of the nation’s top ranked hospitals, the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital,” said German.
Trilogy is opening its third facility in Lexington, based on the growing need.
“Our demographic data, specifically from the skilled nursing side, looks at individuals over 75 and even more importantly over 85,” Barney explained. “The number of skilled beds in the Lexington market compared to the population is very low, so there is a need.”
When it comes to choosing the location, most seniors choose Lexington because it is already home.
“Seniors that are still driving tend to prefer communities near where they have lived most of their life so they are still close to the churches, neighborhoods, groceries and pharmacies they are familiar with,” said German. Other seniors stay or move to Lexington to be near family.
“We’ve seen a real change in who our customer really is,” said Todd Spittal, CEO at Provision Living. “The adult child is more engaged in the care process and wants to bring their parents closer to them [geographically], and Lexington is really a destination point for adult children. There’s a lot of stability in the market, and people want to live here. In turn, Lexington will benefit from having all these options for seniors available; it helps everyone’s quality of life.”
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Highgrove at Tates Creek
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Provision Living at Beaumont Centre
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Highgrove at Tates Creek
Amenities and facilities
Not only are there a lot of seniors living in the Lexington area who need services, more of these seniors are looking for a place that offers a higher caliber of amenities, not just a pretty building.
“Today’s communities offer resort-like amenities such as salons, spas, restaurant-style dining and theaters,” said German. “Seniors are moving into communities because they want to, not because they have to.”
The same applies to the types of activities and experiences available to seniors. It’s no longer about crafts and bingo.
“Options like yoga, social media workshops, volunteer opportunities and art classes are becoming more mainstream,” said German. “On-site amenities like fitness rooms, libraries and theaters provide convenience, while off-site activities like trips to Keeneland, the Newport Aquarium or the Lexington Opera House provide culture and entertainment.”
This generation of seniors is also more focused on wellness and prevention than ever before.
“So they’re looking for wellness activities, tai chi classes and walking paths on the campus,” said Barney. “Also lifelong learning. We’re offering our independent residents the option of taking classes with local universities and other groups.”
There’s a much bigger focus on offering a wide array of activities at all the facilities — independent living, assisted living and personal care.
Although independence is championed, the facilities are also designed with plenty of opportunity for interaction. Common areas, inside and outside, give residents a sense of variety and the option to seek out other community members when they want to connect.
“As our culture shifts, there is more customer demand for a quality living experience,” said Berg. “We don’t expect people to change their lifestyle when they come to live here. It’s more about enhancing their lifestyle.”
There are also a lot of seniors who are in transition — meaning they don’t need nursing care, but they want to live in a community atmosphere. Of course, the level of care they need can change. That’s why another big trend in senior living right now is campus-style service.
“It’s important to keep in mind any current health issues as well as future concerns – you have to plan for today and tomorrow,” said German.
Many communities that offer independent living have a relationship with a home health agency, as well as visiting physicians so the residents still have access to medical care as needed.
“Also, communities like Highgrove at Tates Creek offer multiple levels of care under one roof so residents have the option to add services as their situations change,” said German.
The Willows at Fritz Farm offers a similar concept, in conjunction with Legacy Reserve at Fritz Farm (operated by Atlas Senior Living): “We’re working together to provide a whole campus of service,” said Barney. “The boomers and next generation of seniors are looking for independent living lifestyle options in conjunction with the full continuum of care, so that they can age in place or if they are looking at independent living and need medical services on the campus, they can receive those services and then go back to independent living.”
Quality and costs
So what does all this cost?
“Costs for senior living vary from income-based housing that is privately subsidized to more high end, all-inclusive communities,” explained German. “With that in mind, a senior living community apartment could rent for as low as $900 per month to over $6,000 per month, depending on the type of community, the size of the rental and the services and amenities included.”
Most assisted living, personal care and memory care communities can accept long-term care insurance policies, and there are pension programs available for veterans as well.
Independent living is paid for out of pocket.
“Our families have found that when they budget the amount that they are paying for food, social events, housekeeping, transportation and utilities, that independent living is an affordable option for many, and it gives the bonus of social interaction and peace of mind for families,” said Kennedy.
Much of that cost is put directly into ensuring quality.
“We can certainly make the community less expensive, but then we can’t afford to pay our staff what we need to gain quality employees,” said Berg.
Berg said the costs are often the price of quality, pointing to employee salaries and dining options as areas where any savings can quickly show up in negative ways.
New restaurant-style options are becoming the staple as seniors insist on choices, both in serving times offered and menu items. This means there are café menus and bistros where one might go to grab a salad or a quick snack.
“The dining experience is something that we spend a lot of time of our lives with, so the experience our customers have when they move in should resemble that,” said Spittal.
“That means offering a variety of options and an environment you feel comfortable inviting your friends and families to join you — just as you would a favorite restaurant.”
From food to community to health care, the new senior living options coming online in Lexington are aimed at keeping the city’s aging population engaged and valued.
“How we care and support our elders is critical,” said Spittal. “So that care comes in how you help them maximize their independence by meeting them where they’re at now.”