Frequently Asked Questions
General FAQs
What makes Senior Living Communities Different?
My name is Donald Thompson and I am the president and owner of Senior Living Communities.. My role with the company is to oversee the people and processes by which we run our business. I’m actively involved in it. My home number is on my business cards. I’m available to people all the time.
Senior Living Communities was founded to help people live longer, live better lives. It’s espoused in our slogan: Live long, live well, live. What we want people to do is to come live with us in our retirement communities where they live longer independently on their own. We want people to age in place, and be able to stay in the same home they move into, whether a condominium, a single family home or an apartment home with us, without having to go to institutional care. We think we can deliver better healthcare and a better quality of life to people in our environment.
Our goal is to help our members that live with us, get more involved in outward life. And that means, have more friends, do more things, and basically just live a better life.
You may be wondering about the affordability of living in our community. We work hard to keep the monthly fee reasonable and its increases to a minimum. When you compare what it costs to maintain your present home with what it costs to enjoy the amenities of our community, you'll be pleasantly surprised. When you consider all of our services-home maintenance and lawn care, exquisite dining, a full social activities calendar, exercise classes, weekly housekeeping, scheduled transportation, and emergency response all at your fingertips-you'll discover that life is better and, perhaps, even less expensive. When you add to that the peace of mind offered both you and your children, knowing that your needs are taken care of, living in our community becomes an increasingly excellent value.
We believe it's important to offer our members a choice of OCCUPANCY PLANS so they may determine, based on their needs and desires, which plan best suits their lifestyle and financial picture. With all the plans, providing members a return of their occupancy fee, we believe, is one of the unique selling features of our community.
We offer both 90% and 60% equity plans for both homes and apartments. Each is designed to protect your investment and return a substantial portion to you or your estate upon your leaving. The occupancy fee arrangement is very simple and straightforward, allowing you a safe return on your original investment. We welcome the opportunity to share the plan details with you in person.
Perhaps you're wondering what happens to your investment in your home if your needs change-for instance, if you would need Assisted Living. That's a good question. When moving to assisted living, your investment is treated the same as if you were simply moving out of your home, and your equity is returned to you when another resident moves into your home. There is no Occupancy Fee for Assisted Living. It's month-to-month.
Your peace of mind during this transition is very important to us. We don't want you to worry. If you have need, we'll allow you to draw on your equity to cover the cost of assisted living until your home sells. We'll gladly work with you if the situation presents itself. However, our goal is for you to live independently in your home as long as you are able.
We offer a wide array of activities and community events. A full-time Social Director plans and coordinates a daily schedule of varied activities geared to our members' interests and preferences.
There are exercise and educational classes, Bridge and card games, crafts, study groups, golf outings and movie nights. These represent some of our regular, and more popular, events.
We also offer outings to cultural destinations, day excursions, shopping trips, and lunches out on the town. Seasonal events, happy hours, themed dinners, and birthday celebrations are included too.
There's an activities calendar, available in advance, so you can plan accordingly. Because activities are a community effort, we welcome new and entertaining ideas from our members. We always get great input too.
Dining Program FAQs
The dining program includes one meal per day that is included in the monthly services fee. This meal can be either lunch or dinner. You may chose to be served either in the main dining room, lounge or café.
The Clubhouse dining program uses a menu system like you would see in any fine country club restaurant. With the completion of the new Clubhouse, both the lunch menu and the dinner menu will be available at either mealtime.
There will be several "fixed items" on the Clubhouse dining room menu and also daily specials, prepared on site by the executive chef.
Yes. Guests are always welcome. The dining room manager usually will have some space for guests that have not been reserved in advance. However, to insure that good service is provided it is strongly suggested that you make advance reservations for your guests.
The meals are based on the number of days of the month. For example: in January you have thirty-one meals. Those thirty-one meals can be used for you and thirty of your guests on one day or you may choose to use your meals twice a day for fifteen days and once on the sixteenth day. Any unused meals do not carry over into the following month.
Yes. Additional meals are available at the same rate as guest meals.
Dining is country club style with full menu service and wait-staff. Our regular dining service includes several special event functions. Examples include special themed dinners, Sunday brunch, men's and ladies’ luncheons, anniversary, birthday and holiday celebrations. Personal dining needs and catered events are available.
Yes. Meals may be brought to the home of a Member for a nominal fee per home (to cover the labor and material costs for the delivery and later removal). This charge is waived for temporary needs (such as when you have the flu or other illnesses).
Yes. Brightwater will have an ABC license for wine and beer. A complete wine list is available. Members receive one glass of the house wine included with their meal. Members receive a 20% discount on the wine, beer, and champagne prices.
Healthcare FAQs
Pending approval, Brightwater will be a licensed Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) with 48 private assisted living apartments, 24 private Alzheimer’s units and 24 Skilled Nursing beds.
Healthcare is located on community and easily accessible by residents, family members and friends. Healthcare residents enjoy their own separate clubhouse, dining room and activity areas. Residents even have their own private dining room for enjoying meals with friends and family.
Each building is staffed with healthcare personnel 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We have a contracted Medical Director (a MD) and Pharmacy Director (a RPh), and an on-site Director of Nursing Services (who is a RN). The Medical Director and Pharmacy Director make regular visits to the healthcare facility. They participate in our Wellness Program for all residents on the community.
Medical Technicians and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are staffed 24 hours a day.
We offer a 24-bed private dedicated skilled nursing facility.
Our unique Wellness Program offers more than routine check ups and a balanced diet. The program looks at the “whole person”. We provide the environment, education, resources and encouragement to help you stay healthy - physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. Our Wellness Center features a fitness room fully equipped with state-of-the-art exercise equipment, an exercise room for classes and both a heated indoor therapy pool and outdoor pool for water exercise. A wellness coordinator works with you to develop your own fitness program.
Homes FAQs
We offer a variety of housing options, styles, and floor plans to meet your personal desires and tastes. Each is architecturally designed to create privacy and yet provide ample opportunity for socializing. You'll enjoy a friendly neighborhood with inviting streetscapes, courtyards, and beautifully manicured lawns.
Our spacious single family homes, available with two- or three-bedrooms, contain every conceivable comfort and convenience. Each has quality appliances, garage, and 24-hour emergency call system.
The monthly service fee is an all-inclusive cost that is paid monthly by Members on the retirement community.
The monthly service fee includes all of the 15, or so, monthly bills you would have paid on your own home.
Examples are electricity, cable, TV, water, sewer, lawn maintenance, housecleaning, bathroom & kitchen detail cleaning, emergency
system monitoring, one meal per day, scheduled transportation, entertainment, & activity functions, and concierge services.
Your deposit is 100% refunded to you when someone else agrees to take that home. If something unexpected happens to you, and you need to back out of your Occupancy Agreement before the home is complete, we absolutely 100% guarantee a refund in full to you. (We do not refund custom options which are unique to your home if you choose any).
Generally, six months. The time varies with weather and availability of materials and workers.
Yes, you may customize your home and are encouraged to do so. Options that increase heated and/or covered square footage will be refunded commensurate with the equity plan that you have chosen. You are welcome to make other changes to the home though they may not increase square footage. These changes to the plan are at your expense and are not refundable.
The 90% Equity Plan is priced higher than the 60% Equity Plan because of how it affects the financial stability of the retirement community. The retirement community receives more cash flow up front from the 90% plans' higher prices. The 60% plan provides higher cash flow at the time the home is reoccupied by another Member in the future. A discounted present value analysis is done to determine the pricing differential between these two plans. We believe it is important to offer our Members a choice of plans so that they may determine, based on their individual need, which plan is best for them.
A custom landscaping plan is provided at each home. This landscaping includes sodded grass with a timed irrigation system. Several trees, plants, and shrubs are included with the home. Mature landscaping is used at the start.
Yes. You are free to customize the landscaping at your home as long as the Executive Director approves such customization in advance. Typically, changes in the front lawn areas are not highly encouraged. However, your rear yard is an area where you are most welcome to do some custom landscaping.
Yes. You may have a garden in the rear or side lawn of your home.
Condominium / Villa FAQs
A Villa Occupancy and Membership Agreement between you and the community will be signed. The Occupancy and Membership Agreement may be either an equity purchase similar to our single family homes or to a lease. The Occupancy and Membership Agreement details the service obligations that the retirement community agrees to provide to you. The Occupancy and Membership Agreement details the requirements that you must meet in order to live in your Villa home.
As an equity purchase, the Occupancy and Membership Agreement is for as long as you live in your home. You may live in your apartment home as long as you desire and continue to be a Member pursuant to the terms of the Occupancy and Membership Agreement.
You may do any custom interior decorating which you desire to do at your expense. You may at your expense, do other customizations which require prior approval of the management.
You receive a full refund of your deposit once your home is resold.
