Senior living, memory care facilities emerging in the Spring/Klein area

"Based on the population and the geographical area with the population for seniors, there is definitely a need [in the area]," said Michelle Bridges, marketing director for Spring Creek Village.

Bridges said interest in Spring Creek Village has nearly tripled in the last few months. Interest has also increased at Wood Glen Court and U.S. Memory Care respectively, Stepanenko and Wolfe said.

"Definitely we've had a lot of interest, especially in the last month [since opening]," Stepanenko said. "But even back in February, I was talking to people on the phone and the only thing that was up was the [building's] foundation."

Addressing different needs

Although all three facilities opened in relatively quick succession starting summer 2013, each caters to different aspects of senior care.

Stepanenko said Wood Glen Court's first residents moved in Sept. 30. The senior living facility provides only assisted living units, she said, and Wood Glen Court is the only purely assisted living community within about a 5-mile radius.

"Each community has its strengths and weaknesses, but I think what we're able to provide—medication management as part of the base rate—that's a huge thing because usually that's quite an expensive cost outside of already paying for your apartment," Stepanenko said.

Open since June, U.S. Memory Care offers specialized support for individuals who suffer from diseases that cause memory loss, such as Alzheimer's disease, Wolfe said. The memory care complex has 40 units open but plans to expand to 75 units. In mid-October, the facility was about one-third full, but she said more residents would be moving in soon.

The facility is separated into three neighborhoods with patients placed in each neighborhood based on their cognitive level. The U.S. Memory Care staff communicates with the residents' family members to predict where the resident should live, but the staff ultimately relies on the nurses to determine where a resident fits, Wolfe said.

U.S. Memory Care features a centralized town square called "Main Street," with a movie theater, hair salon, dining room, shop and an antique soda fountain.

"People with Alzheimer's, sometimes in the afternoons they need a change of environment," Wolfe said. "Instead of giving them medication, we try to just redirect and change their environment, and we have that built in."

Now known as Spring Creek Village, Magnolia Heights opened in the summer 2013 and addresses both assisted living and memory care needs. Bridges said offering both services allows residents in the assisted living community who develop a need for memory care assistance to stay within the same facility.

Spring Creek Village encourages assisted living and memory care residents to interact with one another through staff-assisted activities, Bridges said. She said memory care at Spring Creek Village is split into two neighborhoods with higher functioning residents in one neighborhood and residents who require more personal care in another.

"We wanted to provide that program for them so when it does come time for [patients] to need more one-on-one specialized dementia care, then they can choose to move in," Bridges said.

Continuing need

Stepanenko said she believes the need for senior care facilities will continue to grow nationwide as the senior population rises, while Wolfe said she sees an increasing need for memory care facilities.

"The amount of people being diagnosed [with Alzheimer's] on an annual basis is growing by tremendous numbers," Wolfe said.

Bridges and Stepanenko said there continues to be a need for senior facilities in Spring/Klein, but Wolfe said she worries about the market becoming oversaturated with the businesses.