FREELAND — Seniors will have a new place to call home in the South End when the Maple Ridge Assisted Living Community opens its doors to the public Saturday.
Construction of the facility, which has a capacity to house 144 residents in its 75 rooms, began in the fall of 2006.
Maple Ridge is the first assisted living facility of its kind in South Whidbey, said Heather Barlow, administrator for the Maple Ridge Assisted Living Community.
“We have been giving tours and taking reservations during the last week,” Barlow said. “There is huge interest here. There is no retirement home or assisted living community, so they are looking for us to fill the void. We are pretty excited about it.”
Assisted living facilities take a different approach to helping people as they age than the focus found in nursing or retirement homes, she said.
“It is apartment living, of course, but living in your own home with assistance, with anything from medications, dressing, bathing, transportation, transfers, all those daily physical requirements just to get through your daily routine,” she said.
Maple Ridge also provides all residents’ meals and weekly housekeeping, which, Barlow said, allows for an increased amount of independence.
Barlow, who has worked in other assisted living facilities, appreciates Maple Ridge’s size.
“This place is really nice. The size of the building is perfect, we are not too big but just the right size,” she said. “We don’t have a big spread out campus where everyone has to walk a long ways to get to the dining room or any of the activities.”
Maple Ridge Assisted Living Community exists for those people where normal activities are becoming increasingly difficult to control, Barlow said.
“If any one thing in their daily routine is getting difficult for them to manage by themselves, or they have to hire it out, then they may be a perfect candidate for a setting like this,” she said.
The facility also boasts a full activity room with a pool table, computers for residents with Internet access, and in-house events such as musical activities, arts and crafts and games.
“We are definitely for the person who is looking for socialization and a supportive environment, but wants the privacy of their own living environment as well,” she said.
Maple Ridge will open its doors to the public Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. and is located at 1767 Alliance Ave. in Freeland. Call 331-1303 for more information.
