A lot of senior living communities, operators, design firms, and industry leaders talk about the importance of adapting to stay relevant—and Buckner Villas in Austin, Texas, is an example of one community that’s walking that talk.
Five years ago the 45-year-old community underwent a major renovation to expand its offering across the continuum of care. But it’s not stopping there. During a facility tour at the 2016 Environments For Aging Expo & Conference, April 9-12 in Austin, the community shared how it’s continuing to change to meet residents’ needs and keep up with demand and industry trends. The facility is set to embark on another expansion to update its dining option, add 70 independent living apartments and an underground parking lot, and update some of the community’s common areas.
“We stay constantly full, which is why we’re expanding,” said Paul Clark, associate director of marketing and sales for Buckner Villas.
The community currently houses a mix of independent living apartments and villas, assisted living units, memory care, and skilled nursing. Clark said “choice” is a big driver in the community so Buckner offers 26 different floor plans with its one- and two-bedroom IL units, which include kitchens, accessible bathrooms with large walk-in closets, and in-room laundry.
In addition to adding more units, the community plans to update or tweak some design elements that were implemented in the past to better reflect residents’ tastes and desires. For example, Clark said one of the lessons the community has learned is that residents are not utilizing the outdoor seating area near the main dining room as much as they use it near the more casual bistro across the patio.
Clark said that could be attributed to the Texas heat or the fact that residents prefer to use the patio more for light meals in the morning rather than taking a full plate of food outside for dinner. “I think as we get more baby boomers we’ll get more interest in the patio,” he said.
In the meantime Buckner is planning to update its dining scene by expanding the bistro dining area and increasing its hours of operation. Part of the patio near the more formal dining room will be enclosed to accommodate a buffet area and add more seating and tables. The community has also found that the option of bench seating in the dining room is unpopular so it will be replaced with chairs as part of the renovation.
Bucker Villas has multiple activity rooms and social areas, including a card room, libraries, multiuse billiards/TV area, and fitness program. Clark said in response to changing interests among the residents, the community is dividing up a large conference room to accommodate a movie theater on one side and a larger room for cards and other games in the other half of the space. The salon/barbershop—a hub of activity in the community, Clark said—will also be doubled in size.
“We’re adjusting amenities and adding services to accommodate more residents in the expansion,” he said.
