Milestone Retirement Communities CEO Caryl Ridgeway and her husband, Scott, are announcing that they recently assumed total ownership of the Vancouver, WA-based independent living, assisted living, memory care and specialty care management company, effective July 1.

Milestone operates 23 communities in seven states, collectively serving more than 3,500 residents.

Caryl Ridgeway told the McKnight’s Business Daily that she has been working for Milestone for five years, and she has been a partial owner for three years, along with five other partners. When the partners decided to retire this summer, Ridgeway decided that it was time to go all in. 

“I saw the opportunity to do what I love with the people that work for Milestone. I decided I’d talk to Scott, and I was like, ‘I want to do this,’ ” she said. “It wasn’t in my long-term plan, but I just couldn’t imagine not doing it with the people that I currently have.”

A senior living advocate, she was instrumental in the passage of aging-in-place legislation in her home state, Oklahoma, to promote and help older adults live in their assisted living homes until the end of life. She also wrote the Compassionate Care Visit Program policy that allows families and residents to safely visit their loved ones at Milestone communities.

Ridgeway’s career in long-term care began as a certified nurse assistant in a nursing home. After a few twists and turns in her career — working as an accountant, bakery owner, IT analyst and emergency medical technician — she discovered that her true calling was working with older adults. 

She answered an ad for an executive director position at Alterra Sterling House. That was 20 years ago, and she hasn’t looked back. Alterra Sterling House later was purchased by Brookdale Senior Living.

Scott Ridgeway is assuming a new role as chief technology officer at Milestone. Segueing  from his work as an IT consultant, he plans to devote his energy to innovative solutions, to “be prepared for the demographics of people that are going to be coming into senior housing that are going to want more stimulation and more innovation and to be able to use technology more,” Caryl Ridgeway said.

“That shift is going to happen,” she added.