Senior living communities, programs and services continue to expand to meet the needs of the growing senior citizen population in The Woodlands.

According to The Woodlands Development Company, about 11,725 residents in The Woodlands area were age 65 or older in 2010. In 2016, the senior population increased to an estimated 16,220 residents.

Due to the growing senior population, senior services like Meals on Wheels have served more homebound citizens, and new senior living communities like Del Webb The Woodlands have opened in the community.

While The Woodlands community has many services to offer to its senior residents, there are still amenities that are needed and in high demand  by senior residents in The Woodlands and Montgomery County, such as  increased access to transportation and social amenities.

Missy Herndon, CEO of Interfaith of The Woodlands, said she believes The Woodlands is made up of residents that help one another, but more can still be done to improve what is available and address concerns for seniors who need more access to transportation and social amenities.

“I think this community is unique in that we take care of one another,” Herndon said. “Senior services at [Interfaith] has been the largest growth in the last four years. There is a higher population of seniors, and there are more needs now. Transportation is a big issue.”

Demand for services

Interfaith of The Woodlands, Meals on Wheels Montgomery County and Aging in Place-The Woodlands, are among the organizations committed to helping senior residents in The Woodlands with social services, transportation or access to meals.

Herndon said Interfaith offers several services for seniors, including activities at the South County Community Center and coordinating worship services with assisted-living facilities. However, senior transportation remains the most popular and in-demand service with upward of 320-330 senior riders per month, which is a 5 percent increase over last year.

“They get one ride a week, and we take them to the grocery store or to a doctor’s appointment,” Herndon said. “The biggest issue right now is transportation, and these services are for those who are dependent on transportation.”

Social activities remain a popular amenity of Interfaith as well, with  an average of 240 seniors participating in activities at the South County Community Center every week.

“It’s a tremendous service” Herndon said. “As the population ages, we’re looking for organizers on the activity side to take on things like this.”

Bob Vienneau, vice president of Aging in Place-The Woodlands, a local organization that enables seniors to remain in their homes as they grow older, said transportation and social interaction remain two important aspects of the organization.

“The main reason people go into assisted-living facilities is because they can’t drive,” Vienneau said. “So 80 percent of what we do is offer rides to residents to go to the grocery store or the hospital.”

The organization, which was founded in The Woodlands two years ago by Woodlands resident Bruce Cunningham, has about 40 combined members and volunteers and offers basic home care in addition to transportation services.

Vienneau said even though The Woodlands is a comfortable place to live, transportation amenities are still not widely available in the area.

“There is a lot of isolation in The Woodlands,” he said. “When I step out of the house, no one is usually around. There [are] also no transportation [options] in The Woodlands that you can rely on in like a major city.”

Meals on Wheels Montgomery County also offers seniors social interaction, safety checks and services to help them remain in their homes. The organization serves 550 homebound seniors each week day, and about 10,000 meals are served each month.

Executive Director Allison Hulett said she believes the organization is an important outlet for homebound seniors.

“We’re a unique model in that our results are quite large for the size of the service,” Hulett said. “We keep seniors out of nursing homes and hospitals, and we provide them with human connection. There’s a need for services for seniors to age in place.”

Senior communities

Although there are organizations in The Woodlands providing services for homebound seniors, The Woodlands has more than a dozen assisted-living communities and facilities that cater to senior citizens who cannot live alone.

While The Woodlands has a wide variety of these communities for specialty and basic senior care, new senior facilities are continuing to develop in the surrounding area.

Avanti Senior Living in Shenandoah and Del Webb The Woodlands on FM 1488 are two communities that cater to senior citizens that opened in 2016. Avanti Senior Living is also set to open a new location in September near Augusta Pines in Spring, just south of The Woodlands.

Dayna Stewart, community relations director for Avanti Senior Living, said even though assisted-living facilities already had a presence in The Woodlands area, a facility like Avanti, which has many unique amenities, was still not available.

Avanti Senior Living features amenities, such as a lounge and bar, a gentleman’s room, a true art studio, an exercise room with a ballet barre, theater area, and a full-service salon and spa.

Stewart said there is still a need for more communities like Avanti that focus on the social aspect of senior living.

“A lot of seniors are living at home, and all they see is their caregiver or spouse,” she said. “Being around people really helps stay focused.”

Although many basic care facilities are available in The Woodlands, memory Care is also a necessity for senior residents.

AutumnGrove Cottage at The Woodlands is one of the memory care facilities for seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia-related diseases.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 5.1 million Americans are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, with the number expected to continue rising to an estimated 16 million by 2050.

Twyla Mills, manager of AutumnGrove Cottage at The Woodlands, said the senior facility opened 10 years ago to offer a different setting compared to other assisted-living communities and is still seeing an increase in memory care residents today.

“We run [AutumnGrove] like a home,” Mills said. “We are a 15-bed room facility, and there was a need for it when we opened. There wasn’t a homey place in The Woodlands.”

Mills said there are still other senior services that can be implemented in the community.

“Transportation is still a need, and there could be more social activities for [seniors],” she said. “There isn’t really anything for them. We are seeing an increase in senior residents. The need is there.”