Page 57 - BusinessWest December 21, 2020

No Time T
Like the
By Mark Morris
he senior-living industry is preparing for a “gray tsunami.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 10,000 Baby Boom- ers will turn 65 every day for the next 10 years, while the oldest Boomers will start turning 80 in 2025.
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From its corporate office in Southampton, Everbrook already manages three senior-living communities in Windsor Locks, Hebron, and Bozrah, Conn., and Cedarbrook is its first community in Massachusetts.
Cedarbrook Village Navigates Safe Opening During Challenging Year
Originally planned for a July opening, various delays postponed the ribbon- cutting ceremony until Sept. 14. Kelly Russell, executive director of Cedarbrook Village, has worked in the industry for more than 20 years and has overseen plenty of community openings, but this one was different.
“For this grand opening, we made sure to have plenty of PPE on site for any- one who needed it,” Russell said. Moving people into their apartments safely during COVID-19 also required a new approach.
“We set up different times and arranged for people to use different doors, so they would not run into each other,” she said, adding that social distancing and cleaning between move-ins was all part of the extra planning and organization necessitated by the pandemic.
When families help their parents move into senior living, it’s often a stressful time, she said, and the added stress of COVID-19 has only intensified the anxi- ety and guilt family caregivers feel. With all the restrictions imposed by COVID- 19, families now worry they won’t be able to see their loved ones.
“We reassure family members that we are taking all the necessary precau- tions so they can schedule visits in a safe environment and stay in touch with
Business of Aging
Robert Kelley, in-house counsel for Everbrook Senior Living, pre- dicts that, once Boomers start reaching that age, the demand for senior-living communities will increase significantly. That’s one of the many reasons he’s excited about his company’s newest community, Cedarbrook Village in Ware.
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