Retreat at Sunny Vista to open this October
Former TB sanatorium focuses on memory support and assisted living~
Colorado Springs, CO – Locally owned Sunny Vista Living Center is adding to its historic past by focusing on future senior needs with the opening of Colorado Springs’ newest assisted living and memory support community. The Retreat at Sunny Vista, scheduled to open this October, incorporates warm contemporary design, personalized care and the latest technologies to support older El Paso County adults.
The 55,000-square foot, $18 million project is the first assisted living/memory support community to be located in central Colorado Springs. More than 50 new jobs will be created when the community opens later this fall.
Tradition of care continued – From sanatorium to state-of-the-art senior care
The Sunny Vista Center originally began as a tuberculosis sanatorium in the early 1900s financed through the Watt Memorial Endowment created by Marjorie Palmer Watt, daughter of Colorado Springs founder General William Palmer. After World War II, when tuberculosis was no longer a great threat, the then Sunnyrest Sanatorium was transformed into a non-profit nursing home for local residents who couldn’t afford health care. It was later renovated, renamed and in 2005, construction began on the Sunny Vista Living Center, which offers long-term care and rehabilitation services. The Retreat at Sunny Vista is the community’s most recent initiative and will be providing assisted living and memory care.
Serving the community
The Retreat at Sunny Vista is rooted in Marjorie Palmer Watt’s legacy of caring for Colorado Springs citizens and fills an important need of meeting the demands of a growing baby boomer population. The community is a direct response to the needs of the ‘Silver Tsunami,’ a term used to identify the aging U.S. population.
“The goal was to create a campus that meets all the different needs of the local senior population,” explained Sunny Vista Living Center CEO Janet Burns. “Opening the Retreat is one of the last crucial steps in making that goal a reality. We now provide a full continuum of care including assisted living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, in- and out-patient therapy and memory support.”
In addition to serving seniors, Burns explains that “this community will fill a service gap in central Colorado Springs and create new jobs. We’re currently hiring more than fifty new staff members in nursing, physical therapy, dining, housekeeping, maintenance and administration.”
Building for the Future
The $18 million community is under construction at 2450 East Cache La Poudre Street, directly across from the Living Center. Once complete, it will offer 66 apartments and suites. The community will also include numerous light-filled community spaces, including multiple dining venues, sun-rooms, community gathering areas, fireplaces, outdoor patios and walking paths.
The Retreat will also incorporate a range of cutting-edge technological tools including Telehealth, which provides 24/7 access to doctors; music and relaxation therapy though Soundwall; a fall reduction program through tablet-based BWell Solutions; a hearing loop system to assist residents with hearing aids; and, the Cornell Light system that encourages communications between nurses and residents.
“Our history and dedicated service to the community coupled with state-of-the-art technology sets us apart,” Burns added. “All of these initiatives work together toward the community’s ultimate end aim, the same one since the center’s turn-of-the-century foundation: To provide Colorado Springs the best care possible with a vision for the future.”
Locally owned and operated, Sunny Vista has been caring for Colorado Springs for more than 100 years. The Retreat at Sunny Vista is located at 2450 East Cache La Poudre Street and will provide assisted living and memory support in a safe and caring environment. For more information please visit http://retreat.sunnyvista.org or call 719-888-3673.
