Page 20 - Flathead Beacon // 5.18.16

COVER
GRAYING MONTANA
Setting a New Standard for Senior Living
Variety of housing options surfacing for active, independent Baby Boomer generation
BY DILLON TABISH OF THE BEACON
As research is increasingly showing, the Baby Boomer generation is setting a new standard for senior living.
“You have people who are incredibly active much later in life now,” Kalispell Planning Director Tom Jentz said. “The Baby Boomers are retiring but they are so incredibly active by and large and they’re not ready to slow down.”
As a result, the housing options are evolving with this new trend, adding a new variety alongside the tra- ditional retirement home setting. As residents age, they are apt to downsize from the two-story homes with large property, Jentz said. Areas with amenities such as parks, sidewalks and trail systems are attractive for senior developments, he said, which is leading cities such as Kalispell to increasingly adapt to this new trend.
“It’s a nationwide trend and just like every commu- nity, the time is now and it’s coming here,” Jentz said.
In Kalispell, several di erent types of home options have emerged. In downtown, developers were looking for a centrally located site close to a park and trail sys- tem while also providing close opportunity for grocery shopping. They found an ideal spot on Central Avenue, which is where they built Depot Place, a three-story apartment complex for low-income seniors.
The Burlage Family Properties developed a new Bee Hive Assisted Living Center at 242 Stillwater Road. The 19-bed facility opened earlier this spring with a 24-hour sta and 19-person occupation limit.
“There are now much di erent expectations for retirement,” Jentz said.
Jentz said cities are looking at ways to o er “density with amenities” in the core areas where seniors and oth- ers might prefer to live.
Certainly the largest example of a senior housing boom is the latest expansion at Immanuel Lutheran Communities, which just broke ground on a $45-mil- lion, multi-phase, ve-year expansion at Bu alo Hill Terrace.
Adjacent to the campus of Kalispell Regional Health- care, Immanuel Lutheran is working on the rst phase of construction that adds a new therapy gym and 32 guest suites for a total of 48 guest suites at The Retreat at Bu alo Hill, an award-winning center designed for short-term rehabilitation and post-acute care.
The expansion at Bu alo Hill Terrace begins in July with construction of The Lodge, an assisted-living
Members of the Board of Directors for Immanuel Lutheran Communities, including CEO Jason Cronk, right, toss dirt into the air during a groundbreaking ceremony on May 5. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
memory-support neighborhood. The new Lodge will include 24 private residences and continues Immanuel Lutheran’s tradition of serving those with Alzheimer’s and other related dementias – a need that is expected to nearly triple in the next 35 years. In 1976, Immanuel Lutheran Communities was one of the rst organiza- tions in the country to open a dedicated living environ- ment for people with the Alzheimer’s disease.
The new Villas at Bu alo Hill – 36 independent-living apartments designed with new amenities for the Baby Boomer Generation– are expected to be completed in late 2018. Already, prospective residents have placed deposits on more than half of the future residences.
In the nal phase of the expansion, the Immanuel
Skilled Care Center will be renovated to add memory support and create small “neighborhoods” with private rooms. Each neighborhood will o er a social space and dining facilities. The center also will add six specialized hospice suites.
“The Immanuel Skilled Care Center has been a com- fortable home for many of our seniors from the Flathead Valley for 59 years,” said Jason Cronk, CEO of Imman- uel Lutheran Communities. “It is time to renew the cen- ter into a modern design that allows residents to con- tinue to live comfortably with the support and loving care Immanuel has provided for generations.”
dtabish@ atheadbeacon.com
20
MAY 18, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
MONEY CAN’T BUY HAPPINESS,
BUT IT CAN BUY YOU A BOAT
AND THAT’S ALMOST THE SAME THING!