Home Care in San Diego,

The golden years truly can be golden

As the aging of America continues, the quality of?senior care?keeps going up. The ?old folks? homes? of the past, with their drab interiors, shabby hallways and mundane group activities, have given way to a new generation of senior communities built around individual wants, needs and desires.

Most embrace a resort-style concept of on-your-own living, although many also offer various levels of care, from assisted living to skilled nursing and special quarters for those with impaired memories. Some are more like a five-star Palm Springs getaway, complete with wellness centers and concierge services, while nearly all offer such amenities as fine dining, theaters, libraries and expansive menus of individualized services and programs.

?Senior care and service delivery is undoubtedly getting better all the time,? says Lewis McCoy, vice president of Generations LLC, which operates Paradise Village in National City. ?In fact, service delivery these days for older adults truly does resemble that of a full-service resort. One would be surprised to visit a senior care community these days; they are far, far from the institutional ?facilities? they were 20 years ago.?

?These aren?t your grandmother?s retirement communities,? adds Lee Ratta, senior vice president of organizational advancement at Front Porch, which operates Wesley Palms in Pacific Beach and three other senior communities in the San Diego area. ?Today?s seniors are active, engaged world citizens. Each community is as unique as the individuals who live in them, and that?s the guiding force in how we create our communities.

?In the past,? says Ratta, ?residents would come in, and we would give them a list of things to do and take care of everything, like on a cruise ship. It was all very paternalistic. Today, the residents are in the driver?s seat?we?re just there to facilitate their retirement experience.?

Michael Grust, president and CEO of Senior Resource Group, agrees. ?Our residents tell us everything we need to know about who they are and how they want to live,? says Grust, whose company operates the La Vida Del Mar community in Solana Beach and La Vida Real in Rancho San Diego.

One of the drivers in this move toward resort-style communities tailored to the individual is the sheer number of aging Americans?and their tendency to plan now for their own retirements. The number of seniors ages 65 and up has grown 11.2 percent between 1997 and 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. What?s more, the number of seniors, which is expected to hit 40 million this year, is projected to increase to 55 million by 2020.

?Baby boomers, while not living in retirement communities yet, are heavily influencing retirement living, because people are planning now for the future,? Ratta says. ?These people are planners?they planned for college, they planned for their careers, and now they are planning for the third stage in their lives. And they know exactly what they want?they want activities, meaningful ways to express themselves, wellness programs and lifelong learning, as well the convenience of having mundane activities, such as cooking and cleaning, taken care of for them.?

Wesley Palms, which Ratta?s company operates, sits high atop a hill in Pacific Beach, a stunning location that affords panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Wesley Palms is one of San Diego?s oldest retirement communities?its doors opened in 1962?and a pioneer in the trend toward resort-like settings. Wesley Palms occupies 44 park-like acres and is a horticulturist?s dream, with gorgeous tipuana trees, striking Hong Kong orchid trees and many other exotic plants. The 280-unit community includes more than 100 private cottages; month-to-month fees include restaurant-style dining, housekeeping, maintenance, 24-hour security, transportation, and full access to a heated pool and fitness center, a putting green, a theater, art classes and other amenities. Executive director Ben Geske says many of the residents are still employed or operate their own businesses, and most live independently, although Wesley Palms does offer a personalized assisted-living program called Catered Living.

Wesley Palms is one of four San Diego-area retirement communities operated by Front Porch, which describes itself as a ?support system? for a family of nonprofit communities. Front Porch operates 11 full-service retirement com?munities that are home to 3,000 people in California, and two active-adult living communities serving 340 seniors in Louisiana and Florida. Just opened by Front Porch is Luma, on the shores of Nuevo Vallarto, Mexico. It?s that country?s first active-adult living community.

Just north of Wesley Palms, in La Jolla, is Pacific Regent La Jolla, a retirement community consisting of 148 condominiums in a 21-story high-rise. Residents own rather than rent their quarters, which offer one to three bedrooms and range in size from 900 to 2,400 square feet. The elegant building is home to a gourmet restaurant?residents only pay for the meals they eat?and offers weekly housekeeping, valet parking, scheduled and individual transportation, room service and a 24-hour concierge. Activities include visits to plays and symphonies and classes in aquacise, yoga and exercise.

?Pacific Regent La Jolla is really a delightful combination of a luxury hotel and a vertical cruise ship,? says Denny Fluter, the community?s sales and marketing director.

Farther north are La Vida Del Mar, in Solana Beach, and La Vida Real, in Rancho San Diego, both Senior Resource Group properties, part of a network of 15 communities in California, Arizona, Oregon and Florida.

La Vida Del Mar is a resort-style campus with spacious one- and two-bedroom residences surrounded by lush courtyards and verandas, some with views of the Pacific Ocean. Both independent and assisted-living options are available on a monthly fee basis. Amenities include a private health club, library and galleria featuring monthly art exhibits.

La Vida Real resembles a quaint Spanish village. Seven distinct ?neighborhoods? are home to 210 independent living residences, 99 assisted-living units and a secured home for residents with impaired memories. The campus boasts a gourmet restaurant, Del Oro Grille, as well as such other features as a movie theater, fitness center, pool, spa and Internet lounge.

?By listening to the market and understanding the surrounding communities we serve, SRG is always evolving,? says Senior Resource Group president and CEO Grust. ?Our focus on wellness and hospitality is a result of our passionate commitment to deliver on a promise to not only meet residents? needs but also to exceed their expectations.?

Another senior community operator with a flair for resort-style living is Belmont Senior Living, which runs 20 communities in six states. Two are in the San Diego area: Belmont Village at Sabre Springs, a mission-style community in Poway that opened in 2001, and Belmont Village at Cardiff by the Sea, a Craftsman-style community overlooking San Elijo Lagoon that opened in 2009.

The Belmont Village communities offer independent, assisted living and Alzheimer?s care, along with specialized memory-enrichment programs for residents with mild cognitive impairment. The rate structure is a monthly lease, with no buy-in required. They feature multiple common areas and courtyards, including swimming pools.

?We believe strongly in encouraging residents to shape their communities, creating a culture that reflects the population,? says Patricia Will, cofounder and president of Belmont Senior Living. ?We build Belmont Village communities not just for others but as places where we ourselves would choose to live in our elder years.?

Just a few miles north of Belmont Village Cardiff by the Sea is Fairwinds-Ivey Ranch, managed by Leisure Care. The community occupies a three-story building in Oceanside and offers such amenities as a billiards room, a theater, concierge and travel service, outdoor courtyards and walking paths. A state-of-the-art gym offers personal instruction as well as group classes in fitness, yoga and t?ai chi, while a Brain Fitness Center, operated in partnership with Posit Science, ?adds smart fun to our growing list of innovative services,? says marketing manager Paula Richards.

A stretch inland, in Rancho Bernardo, is Casa de las Campanas, a 23-acre residential community nestled in the hills overlooking Lake Hodges. Casa de las Campanas consists of 380 apartment homes of up to three bedrooms?and as large as 1,934 square feet. Amenities include a fitness center, two outdoor heated swimming pools and a dinner theater and cocktail lounge.

Sales and marketing director Marge Provonost says Casa de las Campanas is the only not-for-profit, Type A continuing-care retirement community in San Diego County. Residents pay an entrance fee based on the size of their living unit; if a resident?s healthcare needs change, either temporarily or permanently, Casa de las Campanas provides the appropriate care?whether it is in-home health services and supportive care, temporary care, long-term skilled nursing care or memory care in the state-of-the-art Palmer Special Care Residence.

?Our community members are guaranteed unlimited, specific health-related services for a lifetime,? Pronovost says.

San Diego?s newest senior community is Paradise Village, which is operated by Generations LLC, a four-generation, family-run organization based in Portland, Oregon. The company has built 30 senior retirement and assisted living facilities and currently owns and operates four.

Paradise Village, Generations? new kid on the block, opened in National City last August with 142 independent-living apartments. In November, 92 ?assisted-living apartments were added; ultimately, the community will consist of 498 living units, all monthly rentals with no buy-in. The community is built in Tuscan style and offers a resort-like setting complete with 18-hole putting greens, tennis courts and indoor salt-water, Olympic-size pool. There?s also a 212-seat theater and a first-class restaurant presided over by the former chef at Fusion 111 in Palm Springs.

What trends are coming in the world of senior communities?

?That?s the million-dollar question,? says Ben Geske, executive director at Wesley Palms. ?The main thing we?re seeing is more independence. It used to be that people did things together, with big dining rooms and group living. At Wesley Palms, we?re seeing more and more people who are paying rent and we may see them once a month, maybe not even that much. They?re out traveling, or running their own businesses. The residents are in the driver?s seat, telling us these are the things they want as opposed to us telling them what we think they want.?

?Today?s seniors want opportunities?to travel, volunteer, dance at Happy Hour?and plan their next adventure,? adds Fairwinds Ivey Ranch marketing manager Paula Richards. ?And why not?life is good.?

?Kirk Sanderson

?

Senior communities aren?t for everyone. Some seniors prefer to stay in their own homes, and thanks to home healthcare services like?La Jolla Nurses Homecare?they can now do so safely,?securely and, most importantly, happily.

?Seniors are smarter and more aware of their options than ever before,? says Brittnei Salerno, owner and administrator of La Jolla Nurses Homecare. ?They know how to navigate the Internet, and they know that there are many choices for them in home care. Today?s seniors want to stay in their homes and live independently. They are selective about who they do business with and want the highest-quality service. All levels of quality care are available to seniors in their home.?

La Jolla Nurses Homecare employs up to 200 registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses and aides at any one time and is San Diego?s oldest, most respected private-duty home care agency. The company provides high-?quality, round-the-clock service to those in need and prides itself on employing individuals who can function as both caregivers and trusted companions.

?The good news is that today, more than ever, seniors are choosing to stay in their own home as long as they wish,? Salerno says. ?Safe, competent care is readily available.?

Indeed?La Jolla Nurses Homecare services help patients maintain their independence at home, safely and securely. Some patients need only short-term care, while recuperating from an illness or surgery, while others need more long-term care. Services range from assistance with everyday needs such as personal care, cooking and other daily chores to highly technical nursing care. The quality of these services is apparent; the company is one of the few private-duty agencies able to meet the rigorous criteria necessary to become a state-licensed home health agency.

La Jolla Nurses Homecare, founded in 1977 by Brittnei Salerno?s mother, Lorraine, has over the years achieved a reputation that reaches far beyond San Diego. In fact, the company has provided services to a wide range of prominent Americans, from business magnates to well-known sports figures, members of past presidential administrations and even Hollywood?s elite.

?I think what most sets us apart from everyone else,? Salerno says, ?is our experience and tenure in the community.?

chapter 11 bankruptcy big ten acc challenge 2011 john wayne gacy amr jack del rio fired jack del rio fired made in america