Grove at Oakleaf Village: Facility's opening pushed back

The completion of a memory care facility under construction off Karl Road in the Northland area has been delayed by a month, but tours are taking place and deposits are being accepted on rooms for people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the $7.1 millionWallick Communities the Grove at Oakleaf Village Memory Care Community took place in May 2017. At the time, officials announced a 14-month timeline for completion.

That goal, however, proved to be a bit ambitious.

"We just pushed the (certificate of occupancy) date back 30 days," said Joe Gulling, senior vice president with Wallick.

The target for completion is now Aug. 31, with the opening sometime in September, Gulling said.

When completed, the Grove at Oakleaf Village will have 54 beds in 36 suites divided among four "neighborhoods." Residents will be placed based on how severely they are affected by their dementia.

Neighborhoods are centered around a kitchen and family dining area.

Although Wallick Communities has been in the retirement community business for more than three decades and operates other memory care facilities, the Grove is only the second to be designed and built specifically to meet the needs of dementia patients, Gulling said.

"We did a lot of research, talked to a lot of people," he said. "This was purpose-built to help the residents in their journey through the disease."

Outside each room at the Grove will be digital screens that will display photos from a resident's past, said Kristin Miller, Oakleaf Village marketing director.

"This frame can even play a message from you, allowing your loved one to hear a familiar voice," according the Grove's website.

The rooms are intended to provide a familiar setting for residents.

"This is very much like your own room at home," Miller said.

"It's what they're used to," said Tammie Dillon, program manager for the Grove.

The 36 suites include four private rooms and three "deluxe" shared rooms with a bathroom for each occupant. The rest of the suites are shared by two people and have one bathroom.

"Memory care is expensive," Gulling said, largely due to the high staffing ratio.

The Grove will have 40 full-time employees when fully occupied.

Private suites cost $5,200 a month, deluxe two-person suites $3,800 a month and the remainder $3,500 a month, Gulling said.

"In terms of the market, our prices are extremely good," he said.

Memory care facilities such as the Grove represent the "fastest-growing segment of assisted living in Ohio and all over the country," said Jean T. Thompson, executive director of the Ohio Assisted Living Association.

The goal of such operations, Gulling said, is to "help maintain as much dignity and independence as possible."

Tours of the Grove for prospective residents and their families may be arranged by calling 614-431-1739.

kparks@thisweeknews.com

@KevinParksTW1