Closing of Sagamore Hills senior facility sends residents in search of new accommodations

Note: This story has been updated. A previous version contained incorrect information about the senior living facility's ownership.

Carol Snyderwine was teaching class when she got the call from Sagamore Hills Estates Senior Living, where her mother was staying.

The facility was preparing to close, she was told, and the residents at the senior living center would have to move out by June 1.

"She just happened to take the call," said husband Bob Snyderwine. A certified letter was sent a short time later.

Missy Day, vice president of communications and marketing for Sinceri Senior Living, confirmed that communications with families started on March 31, with letters sent April 8.

Management of the facility, at 997 W. Aurora Road, switched to Sinceri Senior Living in November. Sinceri, based in Vancouver, Washington, operates more than 77 communities in 21 states, according to its website. Sinceri operates two other senior living communities in Northeast Ohio — Broadway Creek Estates in Medina and Lorain Estates in Lorain and serves as manager of the Sagamore Estates facility.

Day said that Sinceri " is taking direction from the community’s ownership group [Sagamore Hills Estates], as they are currently evaluating how they would like to utilize the property in the future."

"We cannot speak directly to the intent of the owner group at this time as they are still making considerations for their property," Day added

Bridget Sharp, Sinceri's regional director, said the company "quickly identified several important areas of opportunity for facility enhancements" when it became manager of the site, previously known as Elmcroft of Sagamore Hills.

In an April 18 news release, she said: "After careful consideration of the complexity of the enhancements, it has been determined that continued operation of Sagamore Hills Estates is no longer practical."

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Sharp said the facility will work to ensure its residents are moved to other living arrangements that fit their health and safety needs, including transportation assistance and forwarding medical records.

According to information from the Ohio Department of Health, the licensed capacity is 214.

Day said that when Sinceri took over management last fall, there were 45 residents. As of May 4, all but 10 residents have been placed in "other local senior living communities," and "all but two residents already have transition plans in place."

"We are diligently working to support the remaining residents and their families to find suitable placements," Day said.

Family 'disapppointed' by decision to close senior living facility

Thankfully for the Snyderwines, a place was found right next door at Brentwood Health Care Center, and near where Carol and Bob Snyderwine live.

"That's why we picked these places," Snyderwine said of the proximity of the care center to their Sagamore Hills home. They plan to move his mother-in-law out before the end of this month.

Snyderwine said that they "were disappointed by" Sinceri's decision to close.

"My mother-in-law said she was fine with it, but that a lot of the residents were in tears because of the stress," he said. "You put a lot of faith in these facilities. We knew they were struggling but we are disappointed. There's a lot of stress in trying to move from what is basically one studio apartment into another."

According to records from the Summit County Fiscal Office, the two-story, 33,018 square foot facility was constructed in 1999. The building's appraised value is $6.35 million.

Sagamore Hills Estates provided assisted living, memory care and respite, or short-stay care, according to information on Sinceri's website.

Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Sagamore Hills Estates Senior Living closing at end of May