By Chris Bavender
Colorado-based Spectrum Retirement Communities will open its second senior living center in Hamilton County in 2015 – this time in Carmel. A new Fishers senior living center, Meadowbrook, is scheduled to open in June.
The company chose Carmel because of its rapid growth, because its ratio of residents 75-and-older is above the national average and because of its ranking by Money Magazine as one of the best places to live, said Kathleen MacDonald, Spectrum’s vice president of marketing.
“We have a demographer who does a lot of research for us on a community, its population and demo. Carmel is just an excellent location,” MacDonald said. “His report noted that Hamilton County has added three new ZIP codes in the last three years. We are very excited about Carmel.”
Construction is already underway on Carmel Senior Living at 136th and Illinois streets. The retirement community will offer residents three levels of care – independent living, assisted living and memory care for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The three-story facility will feature 156 studio and one- and two-bedroom apartments. All will be available as month-to-month rentals.
“There are no buy-in fees. If you move in and your circumstances change or your family moves out of state, you don’t lose money.” MacDonald said. “If you move in and it’s not the right fit, there is a 60-day money back guarantee.”
Residents will have access to a large dining room with chef-prepared meals, a bistro for more casual meals, a library with computers, a beauty salon, a wellness center with equipment geared toward seniors, a community room, a greenhouse and a theater.
“Forty percent of the entire community is community space,” MacDonald said.
A unique feature of the community a program which allows seniors with mild dementia to get the help they need while maintaining a lot of independence, MacDonald said
“They would not be in the secured portion of our community, but because they are getting dementia they might start feeling more isolated so we have the transitional aspect where we work with those residents so they still stay engaged in what goes on in our communities, such as eat with other residents and do activities – so they are not feeling isolated in their apartments.”
Another plus for residents – they won’t have to leave pets behind when they move in.
“Pets are a very important part of our residents’ lives, they are very attached to their pets,” MacDonald said. “We do have size restrictions but we have wonderful pets in our communities.”
For more information visit www.carmelseniorliving.com.
