By Deb Silverthorn
Dream living has a new address for seniors: a 28-acre senior living community at Ohio and Spring Creek in Plano. The Legacy at Willow Bend hosts independent living in 12 villas and 103 apartments, 40 assisted-living one- and two-bedroom apartments, 18 memory care suites for individuals with early-onset dementia and a 60-suite skilled nursing site which provides short-term rehabilitation and long-term nursing care services. There is a minimum age of 62 for members in the independent living residences.
“I’ve been in this field for 20 years and I’ve never seen anything like The Legacy. This is a gift,” said Lana Van Giesen, executive director. “The Jewish community has always had a reputation for giving wonderful care to their seniors and I always hoped to share my mission, vision and concern with such a community. The Legacy is it.” Before coming on board with The Legacy last summer, Van Giesen spent three years as executive director at Town Village North.
“The commitment for the independent living residences is not a real estate purchase,” explained Michael Ellentuck, president of Legacy Senior Communities, Inc. “Our residents pay no property taxes; they no longer pay for housekeeping, maintenance, a gardener or utilities.” Assisted-living and memory care services are provided on a month-to-month basis and skilled nursing is based on a daily rate without a buy-in.
Buy-in commitments vary with a 10 percent deposit due on commitment and the balance due upon move-in. There is a monthly maintenance fee. The “life care” model provides for members, if and when necessary, to move from their villa or apartment, with priority access, to the assisted care or skilled nursing areas, with only the maintenance fee required. If for any reason a member moves from the community, 90 percent (95 percent for charter members) of the original commitment money is returned to the member or, if deceased, to their personal representative. “It’s today’s estate preservation,” Ellentuck said.
“This was the perfect answer for us,” said June Feltman, who moved into a villa in early July with her husband, Harry. “I still work and now I don’t have to worry about Harry getting up our stairs, I don’t have to come home and cook dinner. If a light bulb burns out, someone else is going to come and replace it. I don’t have to worry.