The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve has been open since the summer of 2015, offering top-quality assisted living and memory care in New Tampa, less than two miles off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. on Highwoods Preserve Pkwy.
It is now both owned and managed by PinPoint Commercial, based in Houston. PinPoint was the community’s original developer, and recently established its own company to manage The Legacy and its other properties, called LifeWell Senior Living.
The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve offers spacious rooms, an extensive array of facilities and amenities, expansive views over a nature preserve outside and even a putting green at the center of one of the facility’s courtyards.
With 82 private suites and a license to house up to 88 residents, The Legacy offers five floor plans, from 330-sq.-ft. studios to 525-sq.-ft. deluxe suites. There are 60 suites for assisted living, as well 22 suites in the secured memory care wing of the building.
As part of The Legacy’s all-inclusive package, residents are served three meals a day at the Palm Pavilion, with menus and fine linens. They also can grab a snack from the Key Lime Bistro any time of the day or night. There’s even a sports bar, a private dining room that can be reserved for visiting family, a full-service salon, game room, theater, library, grand piano and fitness center.
Residents’ medical needs are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), with oversight from Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs).
And, it’s not just the building itself that community relations directors Lilly Gonzalez and Taylor Penvose want you to know about The Legacy, however. They really want to share how The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve helps seniors live a, “connected, active, safe, and purposeful life,” which is the philosophy of LifeWell Senior Living.
“We’re not a nursing home or a cold facility,” says Lilly. “We’re truly a community.”
For example, the residents have frequent outings to locations such as the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa. “They have weekly lunches at Ruby Tuesday or Burger 21, or even Bahama Breeze on the (Courtney Campbell) Causeway,” says Lilly. “Recently, they went to visit Tarpon Springs and the residents couldn’t wait to go put their feet in the sand.”
She says another favorite activity among residents is dominoes with The Legacy’s executive director, Janis Stovall. “Our residents love dominoes with Janis,” says Lilly. She adds that Janis is one of the reasons The Legacy is unlike any other assisted living facility.
“She’s truly a resident advocate who is always looking to connect one-on-one with our residents,” Lilly says.
Making Residents Feel At Home
Lilly and Taylor also explain that the building has been designed to encourage interaction among the residents. “Each suite is private, but the whole building is home,” explains Lilly. “Our common areas are very purpose-driven, because we don’t want residents isolated in their rooms.”
The staff is intentional about extending its community to the residents’ families, too. There’s an air hockey table that kids enjoy, for example, or families can bring a movie to watch together in the theater room.
Marsha Wolf, a Cory Lake Isles resident whose husband Harvey moved into a memory care residence at The Legacy this summer, says the community feels like a family to her. “Everyone here does everything,” says Marsha. “If someone needs help, they all work together. Janis is just the best and goes out of her way to do things to accommodate the residents. I’m thankful I found a place that I feel like he’s safe and I don’t have to worry.”
Hunter’s Green resident Constance Salters moved her great aunt, Ruby Smith, into The Legacy last March. She agrees with Marsha that her aunt has been well cared for at The Legacy.
Constance says Ruby had been at another care facility, where she had a fall, and ended up in the hospital, then rehab. That’s when Constance decided to move her closer to home.
“When she came in, she was using a feeding tube and wheelchair,” explains Constance. “Now she’s up, and thinks she runs the place.”
Constance says The Legacy has given her peace of mind.
“I don’t have to worry about her,” she says. “The staff communicates with me very well, gives me lots of updates, and there are tons of activities so she’s always entertained. They even text me pictures of her dancing, so I feel included in what she’s doing.”
Constance says The Legacy feels like one big family. “She’s home, and I feel totally comfortable that I don’t have to do surprise visits or monitor her. Everyone treats the residents like their own family. I definitely recommend it.”
Using Technology
The Legacy incorporates the latest technological advances to offer its residents the best in health and safety, such as QuietCare technology. “QuietCare allows us to be proactive, instead of reactive,” says Taylor. The technology uses motion and heat sensors, combined with software analytics, to learn the behaviors and patterns of residents. If something is out of character — such as a resident getting up more often at night, or maybe staying in the bathroom an unusually long time — the system alerts the care staff so they can check on them.
Every resident wears a radio-frequency ID wristband that provides access to their private suite. The wristbands also are used in the fitness center, where residents can use state-of-the-art equipment, designed especially for seniors, to alert the machines to the user’s preferences and goals. With no weights or chains to struggle with, this equipment minimizes falls and injuries, and the wristband technology tracks the workout.
“If a doctor is concerned that a patient needs to exercise more, we can actually give the resident a printout of all of their workouts to show the doctor,” Taylor says.
Residents also wear a pendant that can alert caregivers on staff instantly, plus there are pull cords in every bedroom and bathroom. “Our staff is held accountable for how quickly they respond when they receive an alert,” says Lilly.
Anyone entering the building, whether they are family members, third party providers or doctors, is checked out by Accushield, a digital sign-in kiosk that verifies providers’ credentials, time spent in the building, and even criminal and health backgrounds.
Respite Care, Too
For people who are providing care to loved ones at home and may need a break, The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve also offers respite care.
“If you’re taking care of a loved one and need time to go to a wedding or graduation or family vacation, we have one residence available in both assisted living and memory care for this purpose,” Lilly says. There is a minimum stay of seven days, where the person you care for will have access to all of the community’s amenities and activities. “It’s like your loved one gets a vacation, as well,” Lilly adds. “If you think, ‘I want to go away, but I can’t,’ we’ll help you make that happen.”
The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve is located at 18600 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. For info, call 375-9858, see the ad on pg. 38 or visit LegacyatHighwoodsPreserve.com. Walk-ins are welcome seven days a week, from 9 a.m.–5 p.m., but appointments are preferred for tours.
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