Senior communities offer upscale amenities to attract tenants

Apr. 25—Three months from now, a pair of four-story luxury apartment buildings in Sylvania will begin accepting residents eager to experience their many amenities — full kitchens with granite countertops, high-end appliances, walk-in closets with custom closet systems, private balconies, and an electronic communications system controlled by an in-unit iPad.

But the $14 million, 54-unit complex, named The Crescent at Oakleaf Village, isn't for affluent young professionals or tech-savvy millennials.

The Crescent, which is being developed by Wallick Communities, of suburban Columbus, is for seniors who are ready to transition to a structured community but not yet ready to give up the high-end amenities to which they've grown accustomed.

Experts say demand for such upscale senior living communities is growing and the amenities sought by occupying seniors are ever-increasing.

Those sought-after amenities include a variety of new electronic technologies, which used to be considered too complex by many seniors, but now have become part of their daily lives thanks in part to the 2020 pandemic that forced many to adapt.

Jim Oedy, owner of the Genesis Village senior living community on Reynolds Road at Heatherdowns Boulevard, said the demand for assistance with face-to-face video conferencing via programs like Zoom has increased 10-fold at Genesis since last year.

"We've been using Zoom for a long time. If someone wants to have a Zoom call with people overseas or across the country, we have it set up for them," Mr. Oedy said. " A lot of people here don't know how to use Zoom."

But last year the service became immensely popular with residents, who grew more comfortable and savvy with Zoom. Now, Genesis is often scheduling several Zoom calls daily for seniors, the owner said.

And that is not all.

Over the last few years residents have requested and received an electronic messaging board system that provides personal information, like birthdays, and practical information like weather updates.

"Seven or eight years ago if we offered that, it wouldn't have been as well received as it is now," Mr. Oedy said.

The Crescent will provide a range of concierge services using an electronic communications system accessed by in-room iPads. Residents will be able to review daily menus, mail notifications, reminders, safety and security alerts, hold video chats with family and friends, and even grant access to visitors.

All of that might not have been necessary three to five years ago.

But, "We are seeing a shift," said Stephanie Hess, senior vice president at Wallick Communities.

"Seniors are looking for a more active lifestyle but they're not wanting home maintenance anymore. So they're willing to give up their home, but they're not willing to give up the luxury items they're used to," she said.

For example, demand at Wallick's eight other communities has pushed it to include a golf simulator at The Crescent to stay even with or ahead of the competition.

"We're really listening to what they want. That's where the golf simulator idea came from," Ms. Hess said. "You can play Pebble Beach and not leave The Crescent."

Its other in-demand amenities include exercise space, a full-service beauty parlor and a barber shop, dog grooming services, exercise facilities, an arts and craft studio, and a grab-n-go bistro.

Other services that have now become standard are housekeeping, laundry services, maintenance, and off-site activities.

At Genesis, Mr. Oedy said resident demand led to the addition of a barista several days a week to provide fancy coffee drinks.

"We've always had a cafe, but the woman who runs it is also a barista. When people found that out, they asked why can't we have specialty coffees three days a week? So we added it," he said. "People will come down here and line up and sit in our fireplace lounge and have their specialty brews. It's become a big thing."

Jim Cetovich, vice president of Ruscilli Construction, a Dublin, Ohio, firm that builds senior living communities, the construction plans he has seen since 2010 continue to get more upscale and complex every year in response to demand by seniors for things or services they used to get in their car and drive to obtain.

"We have a lot of senior living places coming up on our schedule. I've looked at the list of the amenities and it all seems pretty fancy," he said.

'The competitive nature of the folks that build those buildings — the developers and groups that focus on those types of buildings — has raised the bar to include the amenities that their clients now want. Although many seniors didn't grow up with computers and some of the technologies now in use ...they want those amenities at their disposal and access to them anyhow.

Mr. Cetovich said the latest trends focus on medical care, with developers building senior living communities that have offices for medical or physical therapy staff.

"These rooms are for professionals who either establish an office or at times come into the facility," he said.

"I've been in some that have two full-time therapists," Mr. Cetovich added.

Genesis saw that trend and aligned itself with Promedica Home Healthcare, which now has an onsite office and nursing assistants with access to the medical history of all of Genesis' residents.

From an aesthetic standpoint, Mr. Cetovich said the newest senior living communities are looking less and less like retirement facilities and more like country clubs as a way to attract residents.

"It begins when you walk in the front door. What does it look like? Is it appealing?" he said. "These days when you walk in you're seeing a more grand atmosphere with multiple fireplaces, maybe a bistro or cafe, and part of the dining room is open but part of it is private for parties or gatherings."

And dining has taken a step up with many hiring full-time chefs and nutritionists who provide healthier meals, he said.

Many now have small movie theaters, small chapels, and fitness rooms, Mr. Cetovich said. "They usually have a technology room, let's say, for people to come down and use the internet and computers," he added.

Beauty salons have become a huge deal and are almost standard in most communities because the largest population percentage at senior living communities are women, Mr. Cetovich said.

First Published April 25, 2021, 9:00am