Benchmark Senior Living, a New England-based senior housing provider, recently opened its 50th development at the Split Rock shopping center in Shelton.
The 92-unit senior living community at 708A Bridgeport Ave. is Fairfield County”™s fourth Benchmark Senior Living community. Altogether, Benchmark Senior Living has opened in 50 locations throughout the Northeast with one under development in Huntingon, N.Y.
The newly constructed $25 million building is one of the most energy-efficient Benchmark communities in the Northeast and will soon receive a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certificate for its 72,000-square-foot space.
Benchmark at Split Rock currently serves 46 seniors in its assisted living and memory care units. Adult children in Shelton have shown a strong interest in moving their parents into the senior living community, indicating the demand is there and will keep growing over time, said Tom Grape, CEO and chairman of Benchmark Senior Living.
“Adult children want to make sure where mom or dad will move is a place they are well-cared for by attentive, caring, well-trained staff,” Grape said. “We”™re committed to making sure we hire and train the kinds of employees who will give the adult children reassurance and a peace of mind that they”™re getting what they”™re looking for.”
The monthly rent will range depending on the type of living space and amenities, but the lowest price starts around $3,000. That includes three meals a day, housekeeping, laundry, transportation and recreational activities, Grape said. The new senior living community will hire 75 employees, some of whom will be Fairfield County residents.
New to its developments, Benchmark will provide Shelton living community seniors with training on how to use the Internet to ensure residents can stay in touch with their family. Benchmark in Shelton spent at least $1 million on new technology, Grape said. The latest gadget is a real-time location tracker. This GPS portable pendant allows assisted-living residents to call for assistance from anywhere in the building and indicates the exact location of their whereabouts, increasing safety.
“We”™ll have latest state-of-the art technology, which includes portals with Internet training available seven days a week,” Grape said. “A higher percentage of our senior residents will learn about technology. We”™ve partnered with Stanley Healthcare, and they offer a suite of technology products, so we”™re putting in three or four advanced systems.”
Looking ahead, Benchmark plans to expand and reconfigure its existing programs at the Stamford-based 387-unit Edgehill senior community in a few months, Grape said. No new properties have been acquired by Benchmark in Fairfield County this year, but the senior housing provider may have a couple of new leads starting next year, he added.
Editor’s Note: In an earlier version of the story, it said the Shelton senior living construction project was $3 million. That number is inaccurate. The actual estimated cost is $25 million.
