A Westland, MI, senior living community that was slated to close last year has found new life with rebranding meant to attract interest from middle-income older adults.
Fifty-four percent of the 14.4 million middle-income older adults in 2029 in the United States will lack the financial resources to pay for senior housing and care, and a combination of public and private efforts will be needed to address the looming crisis, projects the seminal study funded by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care in 2019.
Middle-income older adults are looking at senior housing options. Although they are cost-conscious and looking for value over frills, they also want quality and supportive services.
The new Westland House, managed by Columbus, OH-based Alcore Senior Management, is targeting those middle-income older adults and sweetening the deal with licensed care that previously was not offered at the community. The rebranded community no longer offers memory care, however.
“When we researched this market, we saw a huge void for affordable licensed care,” Chris Schott, the executive vice president of Alcore Senior Management, told Hometown Life. “It’s not very often that you run across something like this, so we wasted absolutely no time.”
Alcore’s residents are typical middle class older adults who predominantly pay with their own funds but need the services offered by senior living and care. In Michigan, where Westland House is located, assisted living costs an average of $4,250 per month, and a nursing home room can cost an average of $9,095 (semi-private) or $9,855 (private) per month, according to the Genworth Cost of Care Survey released earlier this year. By comparison, Westland House monthly rents range from $2,775 to $4,275, according to Hometown Life.
The 98-unit building features new carpet and lobbies and a new dining area as well as renovated rooms. It offers four floor plans, each with a private full bath, including a shower. Each room is available with an emergency call light system. Most of the units are studios, but there are a limited number of one- and two-bedroom options as well.
