With competition intensifying in the retirement center market here, Waterford on South Hill says its pursuing a strategy of offering a broad variety of living arrangements and a focus on luxury to keep it above the fray.


Located at the southeast corner of 29th Avenue and Pittsburg Street, Waterfords campus has 60 independent-living cottages, 107 independent-living apartments, 72 assisted-living apartments, 20 memory-care apartments, and a 54-bed nursing center, says Mary Johnson, the retirement centers director of marketing and sales.


Many of the living units, which range in size from 500 square feet to 1,600 square feet of space, have fireplaces, full kitchens, and large bedrooms and bathrooms, Johnson says. The facilitys four-story main building features an elegantly decorated lobby, five dining rooms, a caf and convenience store, an exercise room, a spa, two salons, and a Sterling Savings Bank branch, among other amenities, Johnson says. For a monthly fee, residents can park their cars in one of two heated indoor garages.


Beyond its bent toward upscale, Waterfords strategy to offer a range of living accommodationsknow in the industry as a continuum of careprovides health care and assistance when needed, but also attracts residents who are looking for a condominium-living atmosphere while theyre still living independently, Johnson says. As part of that strategy, Waterfords restaurant-style main dining room is open during a large part of the day so residents can eat when they want, rather than waiting for a certain meal time.


Were trying to provide more unique choices for people, she says. People choose us because they know that they can stay within the community where theyve made friends.


To attract people at the younger end of the 55-and-over age range, Waterfords operator, Beaverton, Ore.-based Touchmark Living Centers Inc., is developing an independent-living neighborhood nearby called Waterford at Grapetree Village. Houses in that $30 million development, located a few blocks northeast of the main campus, feature hardwood floors, plush carpet, large windows, and wide hallways. The single-level homes are expected to range in size from 1,500 square feet to 3,000 square feet of floor space and will be priced from $380,000 to $530,000, says Jeff Bair, Waterford on South Hills executive director.


Three homes have been completed there so far and a total of 20 are planned as part of the first phase, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year, Bair says. The entire development, with a total of 64 homes, is expected to take about five years to complete.


The houses at Waterford at Grapetree Village and the smaller cottages at Waterford on South Hill are sold through whats called a life lease, under which Touchmark resells a home for the owner when he or she moves out, and the company keeps 25 percent of the resale amount, Bair says. Alternatively, at the time residents buy a home, they can choose to receive when its resold 100 percent of the amount they originally paid for the home.


Cottages at Waterford on South Hill sell for between $200,000 and $380,000, and buyers also must pay monthly fees starting at about $1,800, Johnson says. The monthly fees cover utilities, property taxes, 30 meals a month, and weekly housekeeping.


Independent-living apartments rent for $1,900 to $4,600 a month, depending on their size, while assisted-living apartments rent for $2,500 to $5,300 a month. Monthly fees are included in apartment rents.


Waterford charges a one-time $1,000 membership fee to new residents, which covers activities such as swimming and exercise classes, as well as transportation to doctors appointments or to the grocery store, Johnson says. In addition, residents can pay a one-time, $1,500 fee for a health-care benefit package, which amounts to at least five free days a year of Waterfords skilled nursing care, home health-care, or short-term rest and recovery services.


Bair asserts that it might seem like it would be more expensive to live in a retirement community such as Waterford rather than elsewhere, but since maintenance fees and other routine costs are included in the monthly fees for independent-living units, the cost of living in one is comparable to the cost of living in a home elsewhere. Once a senior moves into an assisted-living or skilled nursing facility, however, rents escalate because of added medical expenses and care.


These are individuals who have planned for their retirement, and have funds and assets that theyve set aside, Bair says. We have homes that someone who has $1,900 a month could afford, and everything is included in that cost.


Johnson adds that Waterford doesnt pre-qualify potential residents based on their income levels.


Two-thirds of the people who are living here are choosing to come here because they think about their personal resources and time and turn over their needs to us, Johnson says. Theyre usually very aware of what their income is per month.


Demand at Waterford has fluctuated over the years, but the overall trend in the retirement industry is that seniors stay home as long as they can, Bair says. When they decide they need to move to a retirement community, increasing numbers of seniors are choosing freestanding structures such as cottages and facilities that offer a more home-like, rather than an institutional, setting, even though those types of living units typically are more expensive, he says.


They dont like going to an area where they feel like theyre giving up something, Johnson says. The style of retirement living is very different than it was years ago and is more of a lifestyle, rather than going somewhere to fold up.


Waiting list


Three parties currently are on a waiting list for the largest of the independent apartments at Waterford, and 20 parties are waiting for cottages, Johnson says. Its difficult to predict how many units will become available each year, partly because many residents in the independent-living units decide to move to assisted-living when their health worsens, but arent sure when they will need to move. Last year, Waterford sold or rented out 59 units, while in 2005 it sold or rented out 65 units, she says.


The wait time to move into a unit also depends on what the potential resident wants, Johnson says. Larger units are perennially the most highly sought after, but demand for certain floor plans and styles depends on current consumer trends.


A dozen independent-living units represent the only vacancies at Waterford currently, Johnson says. Vacancy rates, similar to waiting lists, vary each year depending on consumer demand, she says.


Its important for seniors to plan ahead to ensure they get the type of living environment they want, Bair says. Sometimes, Waterford will work with a potential resident for five years before the person decides to move in, though occasionally it will work with a person for only a couple of weeks beforehand, particularly in health emergency situations.


The message always is that if youre thinking youre going to move, the sooner you can start collecting data the better, he says. That way, youre in more control of what you want, rather than restricting your options.


Waterford on South Hill already offers home health care, but currently is working on obtaining a Medicare license as a home-health agency so that service can be reimbursed by Medicare, Bair says. It hopes to obtain that license by April. Separately, Waterford also offers outpatient therapy, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy, for its residents as well as Spokane-area residents, he says.


Waterford opened its first units in 1989 and completed the large main building in 1991.


Contact Emily Brandler at (509) 344-1265 or via e-mail at emilyb@spokanejournal.com.