The apartments at the new Blue Heron Senior Living in Wesley Chapel are cozy and comfortable. Come check out the facility’s Open House on Apr. 28. (Photos by Charmaine George)
Whether you’re a senior citizen considering assisted living yourself or you need memory care for an aging parent, I hope you’ll take advantage of the opportunity to check out the Blue Heron Senior Living & Memory Care getting ready to open off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. south of S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, which will be the first in our area that also will provide on-site skilled nursing and rehabilitation services in either of our distribution areas.
Blue Heron, which is being developed by TLC Management, is hosting an incredible Open House celebration on Wednesday, April 28, 1 p.m.-3 p.m., so if you or someone you love is considering moving to an assisted living facility, you should definitely visit that event (or call the number at the end of this story to arrange a tour if you can’t make it that day).
The Open House event will include a variety of foods prepared by Blue Heron’s in-house chef, refreshments, live music and tours of this beautiful new addition to the Wesley Chapel community.
Blue Heron’s community relations director Sarah Dymond and executive director Kimberly Lehigh took the Neighborhood News on a recent sneak preview tour of the 159,000-sq.-ft. facility and we definitely came away impressed.
The place, which is visible from I-75, looks huge from the outside (see drone photo), but actually is laid out so that it still feels cozy, comfortable and homey.
The entrance lobby is warm and inviting, with comfortable seating and a gas-fired fireplace where residents and visitors can sit and enjoy each other’s company. Directly behind the lobby is the equally attractive main dining area, while to your right is an open kitchen area called The Bistro, where residents can enjoy grab-and-go snacks, coffee drinks and other beverages (there’s even wine on tap) and watch TV as they enjoy their snacks and beverages.
Behind the main dining room is a beautiful outdoor patio, complete with a gas grill, a putting green and plenty of umbrella-covered seating, all overlooking a sizable pond. The outdoor area also will feature live music events for residents.
The first floor also features a great workout facility/wellness center, as well as an art studio/gallery, spa/salon and a life enrichment center.
The separate and secure Memory Care area, which has its own lobby, its own dining room and 22 studio apartments featuring a front-porch-cottage theme, also is on the first floor.
The upper floors are home to Blue Heron’s 73 one- and two-bedroom assisted living apartments, all of which are beautifully designed, with their own kitchens, washer and dryers and easy-access showers.
And, perhaps best of all, Blue Heron is a true rental community, with no buy-in required. “Our residents are free from long-term financial commitments,” Sarah says, “and have the flexibility to manage their own assets and investments.”
Skilled Nursing & Rehab, Too
As mentioned earlier, Blue Heron is the only assisted living facility in either of our distribution areas that also offers both short-term rehabilitation services and skilled nursing care on-site.
For residents who require 24-hour nursing care, Blue Heron has private suites in its health & rehabilitation center, where each resident will enjoy consistent care delivered by a dedicated team of professional, licensed specialists.
Offering short-term rehab in Florida’s newest state-of-the-art therapy center, Blue Heron’s health and rehabilitation blends the comforts of a luxury hotel with advanced therapies and facilities in a unique “Return to Home” program that includes private suites, advanced therapy equipment, physical, occupational and speech therapies, virtual reality workouts and neighborhood amenities.
“There’s really nothing like us in this community,” Lehigh says. “Our leadership team is super-excited. I believe we’ve hired the best of the best.”
For more information about the Apr. 28 Open House at Blue Heron Senior Living (5085 Eagleston Blvd.) or to arrange a private tour, call (813) 454-0513 or visit SeniorLivingatBlueHeron.com.
The Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care at Wiregrass Ranch administrative team: (from left) business office manager Chelsea Rice, director of community relations Callie Sears, and executive director Linda Mena.
Wesley Chapel families who want to live near their aging loved ones who require more health and daily living support than can be provided at home will have a new option when Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care at Wiregrass Ranch holds its Grand Opening next month. Even though it’s at least an hour from the nearest beach, the name Beach House is intended to evoke memories of the many splendid summers experienced over a lifetime.
The new 93,000-sq.-ft. facility includes 100 residential units, with 67 of them available for seniors looking for assisted living accommodations and 33 suites dedicated to residents who need memory care, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.
Housing options for assisted living residents range from alcove-style units (basically a studio apartment with a partitioned-off area) ranging from 450-480 sq. ft. to two-bedroom/two-bath floor plans ranging from 782–796 sq. ft.
As the first full-service assisted living and memory care facility located in Wesley Chapel, the Beach House offers a number of levels of accommodations and services to its residents, ranging from assisted living (where the Beach House staff provides help with a variety of daily activities, such as shopping and medication management) to memory care programs to support memory function, including discussion groups centered on reminiscing about the past, discussing current events and studying languages and cultures.
The Wesley Chapel location joins two existing Beach House facilities in Jacksonville and Naples, FL. They are all owned by the Dallas, TX-based Prevarian Senior Living, LP, which has Assisted Living and Memory Care communities in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, and Arizona.
Coming soon to S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel: The Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch Assisted Living & Memory Care.
Day-to-day operations at the Beach House are managed by employees of Life Care Services, a Los Angeles, CA-based company serving the needs of more than 33,000 senior citizens at facilities throughout the U.S.
Overseeing all aspects of the Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch’s daily operations is executive director Linda Mena, who brings to her position more than 25 years of experience working in senior housing.
Mena earned her Bachelor of Health Care Administration (BHA) from the University of Phoenix, AZ. In 2015, Mena received her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with a focus on Health Care Administration, from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Prior to assuming her role in Wesley Chapel, Mena was the executive director of the Beach House facility in Naples, FL.
Mena refers to the lifestyle offered at Beach House as “resort-style senior living.”
Assisted living amenities include outstanding group and private dining options, arts and crafts, a movie theater, wellness programs, grooming/haircuts and fireplaces. Memory care amenities include a variety of personal and social dining settings and dietary options to choose from, as well as activities that focus on the patient’s remaining physical abilities, memories and capability to enjoy them throughout what Mena calls, “the attrition of life.” There also is a secure outdoor area for memory care residents.
That means assisting a wide range of residents. “We go from an independent resident to end-of-life needs,” Mena says.
The Full Spectrum Of Care
To deliver services to that wide range of residents, Beach House is licensed as an Extended Congregate Care (ECC) facility, which according to the Florida Department of Elder Affairs website (ElderAffairs.state.fl.us) certifies Beach House’s ability tocover the spectrum of needed care, from limited assistance to total help with many basic needs. According to Mena, Beach House will be staffed to provide 24/7 nursing care.
“They truly can age in place in our community and that’s important to residents,” Mena says. “With the attrition of life, their needs become much greater and they don’t want to have to move or make a transition at that frail part of their lives.”
Mena notes that 85 percent of the people she and her administrative staff will work with are adult children of prospective residents. She recognizes that many of them are knowledgeable about the process and options available, but family members also provide a clear picture of their loved one’s character and history to help in meeting daily needs and creating a meaningful program of activities for them.
“It’s really important that we listen when they come in,” says Mena, who adds that knowing as much as possible about the residents, especially those in memory care, helps the staff engage with them more effectively. As part of those conversations with residents and family members, Mena makes a commitment on behalf of her Beach House staff to those they serve at what can be a very rough time of their lives.
“There are a lot of mentoring, assisting, and bonding relationships established because it’s the trust factor that makes this transition, if you want to say, ‘smoother,’ for this caregiver,” says Mena. “My guiding principle is to just be very transparent, honest and forthright with them.”
She adds that the goal for herself and her staff of Beach House is clear.
“Making sure the needs of the residents are met in every aspect,” Mena says, ‘from the clinical to the dining experience to life enrichment; really addressing the needs of each resident as a whole.”
Beach House is a private pay operation, which means they do not accept insurance plan coverage, and the cost is borne by residents or their families. Medicaid payments are not accepted. While Beach House does not accept payments directly from the insurance companies, If residents or their families have long-term care insurance, it will, as a courtesy, send the insurance company billing information so the families can be reimbursed by the insurance company.
Mena says costs will vary, depending upon the specific support needs of each patient, which are evaluated annually.
With a location that’s convenient to many of Wesley Chapel’s commercial and cultural activities, such as the Shops at Wiregrass mall only 2.5 miles to the west on S.R. 56, a Beach House residency means families can easily embark on multi-generational excursions with their loved ones residing there.
Temporary Assistance, Too
The Beach House lifestyle also is available on a temporary basis for what is known as “respite care,” which according to the Beach House website, “is a temporary stay at a senior living community.”
Senior patients recovering from surgery or illness may find temporary support helpful in their recovery. Caregivers of people normally residing outside of Beach House may also find that respite care is a way to manage vacations or just get a helping hand with assisted living and memory care levels of support. Respite residents at the Beach House will have access to the same services as other longer-term residents with whom social interaction also is part of the routine.
Whether seniors are residing at Beach House for a short respite orto “age in place,” meals are an important part of daily living and socializing as well as supporting a healthy lifestyle.
According to the Beach House website, the chef-created recipes use “fresh, seasonal, local ingredients” and “accommodate any special dietary requirements.”
Beach House not only brings new housing and health care options to Wesley Chapel, it’s also creating jobs, especially in the areas of patient care at the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) level, as well as housekeeping and dietary workers.
Mena says the response from the Wesley Chapel area has been tremendously positive and that 30 percent of the units had deposits paid on them at our press time.
If you’re looking for assisted living for yourself or a loved one, arrange a tour at the new Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch (30070 S.R. 56). For more info, call (813) 508-6677, see the ad on pg. 31 or visit BeachHouseWiregrass.com. Beach House’s official Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Grand Opening is Wednesday, February 21, 11 a.m., with the ribbon cutting scheduled for noon.
With the Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch set to open its doors in December, another assisted living facility may be on its way to Wesley Chapel.
According to plans filed with Pasco County, TLC Management is looking to build a 125,000-sq.ft. residence that will include an adult living and skilled nursing facility at the corner of Eagleston Blvd. and Stockton Dr. in Seven Oaks.
TLC Management had its pre-application meeting with county staffers last month.
The proposed 9.7-acre site is located in Seven Oaks between Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and I-75. According to conceptual site plans, the facility would have more than 230 parking spots and offer private rooms, dining and activities and plenty of green space for its residents.
TLC Management is an Indiana-based company that was created in 1987 with a focus on independent and assisted living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation and memory care. In 30 years, it has created 15 health and rehabilitation centers, as well as two assisted living and independent retirement communities in Indiana.
The company does already have two locations in Florida — Bridgewater Park Assisted Living in Ocala and The Village at Vienna Square in Winter Haven.
According to the Indianapolis Star, the company’s most recent project was a $14-million health and rehabilitation center in Indianapolis, which was expected to create 140 jobs and accommodate 199 patients.
TLC Management is owned by brothers Dwight, Gary and Randy Ott. The brothers were inspired to get into the business by their grandmother, who operated a nursing home in Iowa.
Messages left with TLC Management were not returned.
Home Decor Getting A Boost
Shoppers looking for home décor ideas soon will have plenty of new options in Wesley Chapel, as Cost Plus World Market is close to opening and At Home may not far behind.
Cost Plus World Market, which is under construction at 5833 Wesley Grove Blvd. in The Grove plaza, will be the first store shoppers see when they turn right on Pink Flamingo Ln. and enter the shopping center at its southernmost point. It will replace the AT&T store, although the space is being modified to account for the larger home décor store.
Although Cost Plus World Market filed its original plans with the county in 2016, The Grove let everyone know it was coming soon recently hanging a “Cost Plus World Market Coming Soon” banner at the construction site.
The 18,600-sq.-ft. store will be located next to Bed Bath & Beyond and Cost Plus World Market is a subsidiary of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.
Based in California, Cost Plus World Market specializes in an eclectic assortment of unique items for the home, from furniture to jewelry and accessories, as well as gourmet food and drinks. It claims to sell items imported from more than 50 countries.
Cost Plus World Market has 277 stores nationwide. The Wesley Chapel location will be the second in the Tampa Bay area, as a location in Clearwater opened on Aug. 3.
It could soon have competition from At Home, which is looking to join the busy scene just a few miles down Wesley Chapel Blvd./S.R. 54, south of S.R. 56, tucked behind the Tampa Premium Outlets and just off the new extension of Wesley Chapel Blvd.
Guggenheim Development of Dallas has filed plans with the county to put At Home in a 108,490-sq.-ft. retail space just south of Grand Cypress Blvd., and south and east of Costco.
The developer met with county staff earlier this month. According to site plans filed at that time, the proposed store would have 485 parking spaces, and would abut another still-unnamed 72,000-sq.-ft. retail store.
At Home claims to offer the largest and freshest assortment of home décor items, at the lowest prices, including its own unique products all sold in a “no-frills warehouse without all the commissioned salespeople.”
The store sells home and wall décor, furniture, pillows, rugs, housewares, seasonal items and much more.
The assisted living landscape in the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa area promises to be more crowded by the end of next year, as two new facilities are scheduled to open, including the Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.
The Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch will break ground Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 30070 State Road 56 (one-half mile east of Mansfield Blvd.) on its new, approximately 93,000 sq-ft freestanding community. The facility is dedicated to seniors who need assistance with the activities of daily living and specialized memory care services for residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia. It will accommodate 100 area seniors, with private residences including 67 alcove one-bedroom or two-bedroom plans for assisted living and 33 suites for memory care.
Allan R. Brown of the Dallas, TX-based Prevarian Companies, unveiled his company’s third Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care community — there also are locations in Jacksonville and Naples — at the Sept. 22 Economic Development Briefing put on by the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) at Pebble Creek Golf Club.
Located on S.R. 56 less than a mile east of the Shops at Wiregrass mall, the Beach House will be the largest assisted living facility in Wesley Chapel when it opens, and will have approximately 50 employees.
Amenities at Beach House Wiregrass Ranch will include a restaurant style dining room and private dining room, activities room, salon and spa, theater and outdoor living areas.
Lifecare Services, which serves more than 33,000 older adults nationwide, will serve as the operator of the Beach House.
“(We) will be applying for an extended congregate care license, which allows us to do more in an assisted living setting,’’ Brown said. There will be a nurse on staff and people to help with medications, but no medical facility.
Features Galore
Brown says the community also will have a secure, enclosed courtyard, multiple dining venues, a wellness center and even a bar. The name Beach House is meant to evoke old memories of renting a beach house for the summer. “Many of the elderly we serve have that in their family histories,” he says. “It’s a really positive memory.”
Allan R. Brown (left) of Prevarian Companies talks to local business leaders at the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Briefing last month about The Beach House at Wiregrass, which will become the fourth living assisted facility in our area when it opens in December 2017.
The newest entry in the assisted living space hopes to soon sign up its first residents for a December 2017 opening.
“It’s going to be a beautiful community and a great complement to the other things going on in Wiregrass Ranch,’’ Brown said.
The average resident in assisted living facilities, according to Brown, is an 86-year-old woman, and the average stay in a facility is 28.3 months.
The Beach House will join the three assisted living communities already located or under construction in New Tampa, including The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve , which was the first such community in the area when it opened in May of 2015.
A few months later, Memory Lane Cottage in Tampa Palms, a facility for persons with Alzheimer’s and dementia-related disease, opened with 20 private suites.
Discovery Village, which is located right across the street from Freedom High in Tampa Palms (and less than two miles from both The Legacy and Memory Lane), recently announced the opening of its on-site Preview Gallery.
If you’re wondering why so many assisted living facilities are popping up in our area, Brown cited statistics that say more than 900,000 people nationwide currently live in such settings, and the number of cases of Alzheimer’s is increasing. Brown said 5.1-million were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2010, and by 2050 that number is expected to be 13.5 million.
A conceptual rendering of the Beach House assisted living facility that will open in Naples in December. A facility with the same concept will begin construction in Wesley Chapel early next year.
While the Legacy at Highwoods Preserve (off Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. in New Tampa) recently opened as the area’s first assisted living facility, it won’t be the only one in our area for long, as work will begin on a future assisted living facility on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel early next year.Continue reading
