Design Center - homelike appearance of Cape Albeon - Brief Article

Nursing Homes, April, 2001

CAPE ALBEON

ST. Louis, MISSOURI

Type of Facility/Setting: Independent Living/Assisted Living

Administrators: Diane Meatheany, Vice-President of Operations, St. Andrews Management Services; Charlotte Lehmann, Executive Director, Cape Albeon

Architecture Firm: Pfaff Partnership (636) 256-0666

Resident Capacity: 110 independent living units; 70 assisted living units; 35 cottages

Total Area: 231,939 square feet

Construction Cost: $19,150,552

Cost/Square Foot: $82.57

ADMINISTRATORS' COMMENTS

Diane Meatheany, vice-president of operations, St. Andrews Management Services (developer and manager): "Cape Albeon consists of a three-story independent living apartment house with 110 units; a 70-unit, one-story assisted living facility; and 35 ranch-style, 1,176-square foot cottages, each with twin master suites, living room, full kitchen, an attached garage and emergency call service. The entire 16-acre campus is operated with a wellness concept, with supportive services and lots of resident choices. One concept we encourage is 'shared housing,' where residents share particular skills or interests they have and use them to help each other.

"In the assisted living community, we also use the universal worker concept, in which our Resident Care Associates, who are CNAs with special training in passing medications, also perform light housekeeping for a small group of residents whom they come to know personally.

"The overall style is of a New England seaside community, with a 49-foot lighthouse, Adirondack chairs around our two manmade lakes, Shaker roofs--the sort of style that distinguishes us in the St. Louis community and offers a traditional, homelike appearance that our residents find attractive. In fact, it's like entering a different world from the suburban community where we're located. We have found that, with retirement communities, you have to build a concept to distinguish yourself from others--not just beautiful buildings, but lifestyle options."

Charlotte Lehmann, executive director, Cape Albeon: "We have 70 employees and will have about 250 residents. From the standpoint of daily operations, I find that it is very interesting and helpful to offer a continuum of care on one campus. Within less than a year, we've had eight people move from independent living to assisted living. In one case, a woman who was caring for her husband in the apartment building had to be hospitalized for a hip replacement, so her husband was cared for in assisted living during that time. She then returned to the assisted living community for her own care as well as his. We've had four people discharged from the hospital to assisted living who then decided to move to the apartment building rather than return to their homes with the yard work, maintenance and so forth.

"In addition, there is an independently operated skilled nursing facility across the street that takes care of residents' post-acute care needs. We offer a great deal of flexibility and choice within a lovely and dynamic community setting."