America’s aging population is transforming all aspects of healthcare, including senior housing. You’ve likely noticed new senior housing popping up in your neighborhood, maybe even new Aegis Living communities! That’s because senior living operators are preparing for what’s known as the ‘silver tsunami.’ By 2050, seniors 65+ will outnumber children younger than 15, and a projected 13.8 million people will be living with Alzheimer’s disease—seven million of those 80 and older.
Like many other senior housing operators, Aegis Living is growing to accommodate the rising senior population. To meet the growing need for care in the coming years, we are developing seven new buildings in the Greater Seattle area, and one in San Rafael, CA. Our newest community, Aegis Living Mercer Island, opens July 2019.
Brian Palmore, our senior development manager, shares our healthy growth plan, and how we innovate in senior housing. In fact, you should notice a difference the moment you walk in the door!
Q: How do we innovate in development?
BP: We like to stay ahead of the curve, taking lesson’s we’ve learned in previous communities, implementing new technologies, and researching new developments in assisted living. Some of our achievements come from merging luxury hospitality with service necessities. It pushes us to innovate the way we design so that our buildings are customized to provide for various levels of needed care, from light assisted living to memory care, while also creating beautiful experiences each day.
For example, our upcoming South Lake Union building will be built in accordance with the Living Building Challenge. It incorporates green building practices and initiates massive reductions in consumption. Since green-living is important to many in the communities we’re in, we’re excited to offer a green solution.
Q: Why are our buildings themed and how are they selected?
BP: Our buildings are themed to support a variety of different lifestyles. Some people are attracted to the grand hotel-like buildings. Other’s like a cozier community that has a country cottage or bed and breakfast feel.
The themes are very community specific. Architecturally, the buildings are designed to fit the surrounding neighborhood. The interior amenities are like other communities, but their décor will vary depending on the theme of the building. While some assisted living communities directly reflect the immediate area, such as the Pacific Northwest lodge décor at Mercer Island, some generate from a feeling our founder’s trying to evoke. The two communities that opened last summer were inspired by Italy—Aegis Living Ravenna is a nod to the Ravenna Opera House and a ‘Roman Holiday.’ West Seattle draws inspiration from a nautically themed hotel in Capri. Though the themes can vary, they always feel warm and homey.
Q: How do we choose where we’ll build our next community?
BP: There’s a vetting process when choosing our locations. We look to see if the area is experiencing growth or if there’s a population of seniors who might age into needing care. We have a lot of residents who have lived in their neighborhoods for decades and don’t want to leave. Our goal is to find locations where there’s a growing need for senior services that would enable people to stay in the neighborhoods they love.
Q: What’s planned beyond 2022?
BP: More growth, especially in California. We have a significant brand presence in our markets, but we’d like to increase our footprint in our California clusters. Our customers are continuously asking us when we’re planning on building in their neighborhoods, and we’re always looking at ways to meet that growing need.
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Our newest community, Aegis Living Mercer Island, opens July 20th, with a Grand Opening celebration from 1:00-4:00 pm. Please join us if you’re in the area!
If you’re interested in learning more about our upcoming communities, visit our website, or follow us on Facebook to get real-time updates about new developments.
