Experience all that senior living can be at Opus! In this webinar, we go behind scenes of one of our newest communities—opening in 2023—to learn about the personalized services and care and luxurious lifestyle that await at Opus East Memphis.
Video Transcript
- Hello, everybody, and welcome into our live chat webinar called Living Opus. This webinar is all about the wonderful Opus East Memphis senior living community set to open in 2023, of course, in Memphis, Tennessee. What other Memphis are we talking about? All right, my name is Melissa. Everybody, we have a wonderful panel of individuals here to help talk about this community, and help you get to know it just a little bit better. We'll introduce each of them shortly. Now we, of course, want all of you to be a part of our conversation. You can ask any questions you might have about this community at any time during this webinar. All you have to do, scroll down to the bottom of your screen where it says Q and A, or you can just utilize the chat box. Type out your questions there, and I will be happy to read those to the panel at the end of our presentation. This should last about an hour, so everybody get comfy. Now, if you're here, it's probably because you're interested in this fantastic community, Opus East Memphis, so here's what you need to know. Opus focuses on elegance and fine artistic culture. It is unlike anything in the Memphis area that you have seen so far. Now, Opus does have a variety of living options, just so that you know. Unique open floor plans, engaging activities, chef-prepared fine dining, concierge services, and the perfect level of care for each individual. Now, this community offers a custom resort-style experience and maintenance-free senior living. It all sounds so great, but we're gonna dive in even more so that you can get to know this fantastic community. Now, diving into all of these topics, as promised, our panel that you see here, our lovely panel. We'll start with Beth Robertson, hello, Beth.
- Hello.
- Kris Frankel.
- Hello.
- Hello, and we've got finally, last but not least, Jim Lee.
- Hello.
- All right, we'll let each of these individuals introduce themselves, tell you all about this gorgeous community. And Beth, we will start with you. Go ahead, tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.
- So my name is Beth Robertson. I am the executive director for Opus East Memphis. I started with the community in November of this last year as we started to build. I've been in senior living about 16 years in operations or in marketing. So love the senior living industry, and happy to be able to be here for Opus.
- And hi, my name is Kris Frankel, and I have been in the senior living industry for about 16 years also. I've been with the Arbor Company for 8 1/2 years. I'm the vice president of engagement and training and also active aging. So I'm really looking forward to working with all of you at Opus.
- Hey, there, my name is Jim Lee, and I am the dining support partner with the Arbor Company. And I just completed my 19th year with them, rolling into my 20th year. Prior to that, I was in the hotel world. And a nice little local factoid, I spent a lotta time at the Peabody Hotel in Peabody, Memphis at their Capriccio Italian restaurant. So excited to be able to chat with you today.
- Ah, Jim, I love that fact. That is fantastic. So you're gonna add a little bit of that Memphis flavor. I love it so much. All right, so guys, obviously, we've got a lot of experience on this panel, everybody who's watching. So these are our professionals that you'll see when you do move into Opus East Memphis, living day in and day out. And you'll see sort of the trees, the branches of these individuals, the people who are a part of the staff at Opus East Memphis. So now, before we jump into the ins and outs of daily living, what about Opus is unique and different from the other options in the market? And guys, what makes this elegant senior living? We can say that, right? But we need to know what actually makes that true. Beth, go ahead.
- So for the Memphis market, we are a fresh new approach. I think that's one of the biggest things is we're not your mom and dad's, grandma's senior living community. And within the Memphis market, we are elegant senior living. We are a rental-based community, so no large buy-in fee, no long-term contracts. You know, you're there with us for as long as you wanna be. I think one of the other things that make us very unique as well is that we do have the Arbor Company. So we are one of two communities in the Tennessee state. So venturing into the Memphis market for Arbor is also something that is very unique, and they bring their 30 years of experience with them. They've got 45 communities that we're getting experience from in 11 different states. And not just my opinion on it, but the "U.S. News & World Report" also voted them one of the best senior living. So, you know, you have to listen to others as well. But it's just something that, you know, we bring all of that uniqueness, and I can share some of the pictures here as well with you. And so, with Opus, this will give you some different pictures of the community. And you can see it looks just a little bit, it doesn't look like your average senior living community, you know, bricks and mortar. It's got such a different design appeal to it within that East Memphis area. So this will actually be our front entrance. Again, very appealing and unique. Something that it really fits within the Memphis market right now of being unique. You see a lotta homes in the area being built, and look like Opus does as well. Now, this is our lobby. I mean, walking into a lobby that looks like this, and just the uniqueness, be able to sit there with the piano. We'll have different activities, engagement that's going on, where a resident can sit there at the piano and listen to some beautiful music with someone playing the piano. We'll have not only our bistro area for our residents to enjoy, but we'll also have our main dining room, our fine dining area as well for residents and families to come in and enjoy their time with us at Opus. And this is also one of our other bar areas to be able to enjoy a cocktail or a cool drink on a hot Memphis day, like it's been here lately for us. Let me go on through. And then we'll have outside areas as well for the residents to sit, enjoy. We've got about six different courtyards for everybody to be able to go out, whether it's in assisted living or in memory care as well. And then, this is kind of the creme de la creme that I love, this picture of our zero-entry pool. This actually goes into our wellness center, which I think also makes us unique. So we'll have the pool where you'll be able to enjoy a swim or maybe a class, but we also have a fitness center, yoga, massage, a beauty salon, just everything right there within that wellness area as well. So one of the things, as we look at the renderings here too, is to think about kind of our location within East Memphis. We are at Park and Cherry, 1029 Cherry, and so we are neighbors with the Dixon. And so we are a proud sponsor of the Dixon Garden and Galleries, but we also are gonna be working in conjunction with the Dixon with some of our engagement activities. And that's probably where Kris can tell you a little bit more about the uniqueness for all of our activities or engagement that we'll have.
- Thanks, Beth, so, yes, I'm here to talk with you a little bit about all of the great engagement that you could experience when you're living at Opus. Like Beth said at the beginning, this is not your grandmother's or your mother's senior living. This is elegant senior living. And, you know, kind of envision it as an exclusive experience, right? You're coming to live at a, you know, like an all-inclusive resort. And then in addition to all of the great things that you can participate in, we also have exclusive experiences. And the great thing about living at Opus is you can live life exactly the way you wanna live it. You can be busy all day long, or you can pick and choose what you wanna do. We can go to the opera. We can go to a play. You can learn how to paint. Kind of envision life as, you know, your first act of life, you grow up, you go to college, and you start a job. Your second act of life is you work, you raise your family. Now you're in your third act where you can live and pursue and do all of the things that you've always wanted to do. I've always wanted to paint, but I never had the time. I've always wanted to learn how to play the piano, but I've never had the time. So now is the place to come and pursue all of your hobbies and interests that you've never been able to do. Plus, you get to make friends, and you get to interact, and you get to have a lot of fun while you're doing it. So like Beth also described, we are a sponsor and a partner with the Dixon, and they're right in our backyard, so that allows us to access a lotta their programs, go do tai chi in the garden, or learn some lifelong learning. In addition to that, we're also working on a partnership with Rhodes College where we can work together to provide OLLI classes. So if you've always wanted to go back to college, now is your chance. There's so many different things that you can learn about and do at Opus. So, like I said, when you live at Opus, you can pick and choose and live life just the way you wanna do it. And just like that, you can also do that with dining. And I think Jim's gonna talk to you a little bit about some of the great dining opportunities at Opus.
- Absolutely, thanks, Kris. You know, I'm really excited. Our dining options are really what set us apart as a company. And our goal at Opus is to really provide a country club, resort type of setting. So whether it's our full-service restaurant that will offer a very fine dining experience, we'll host a Sunday brunch with a lotta the classics with a Memphis twist. Maybe an action station with the chef offering the Memphis famous maple bacon donut that the city and the town is known for. It could be a lighter bite in our bistro where you will have some great conversation with friends and enjoy a cocktail. Our lounge will feature some great wine pairings with some great food offerings with a local flare. It will let you enjoy a Memphis Blue Martini, can hop out on the courtyard, enjoy some Memphis blues and some barbecue, and really get a feel for experiencing life in this great town. So I really look forward to this.
- Wow, well, you almost have more options than you could even believe to choose from when it comes to Opus East Memphis. And I love that so much from the dining, to engagement, to just what the community itself has to offer. And yes, Beth, that pool is absolutely amazing. And I want to say that our design team, when it comes to these communities, have really put, the proof is in the pudding, guys. I mean, those renderings end up being what you actually get. So if you think that looks amazing, it's exactly what you're gonna see when you walk in. Now, while Opus sounds like it's gonna be unique, it's gonna be a fun experience for seniors to explore their passions and interest, what about those who need or will eventually come to need just a little bit more support?
- So Opus, we do offer the convenience and the ability to age in place and stay, have their home experiences they desire. So we do have independent living cottages. We also have independent living apartments, but we will also have assisted living apartments and memory care. So it's something that everyone that is there can be there and enjoy. We also are open for our four-legged friends because sometimes support means, you know, not just clinical support, but bringing your pet in, and being able to go to the beauty salon. You know, to be able to walk down the hallway on your own to be able to do those things, even though maybe you're getting some, you know, living in assisted living, but you're able to be a little bit more independent because those amenities are right there for you. And again, with Arbor and hiring staff, they take the years of experience, again, to get support staff that are gonna be able to provide that uninterrupted service to residents as well. So, and Kris can probably talk a little bit more about some of the activities, as our staff is able to help support engagement, too.
- Right, Beth, thank you. So we offer an engagement program that's uniquely designed for everybody. So we focus our engagement program around six engagement categories. So basically, what that means is it really doesn't matter what level of care you're in, whether you're in independent living, assisted living, or memory care, you're still able to pursue the passions that you want to, they just might be done in a different way. So just to give you a little example, our engagement categories are health and wellness. So Beth showed that beautiful picture of the pool. So we have a fitness professional who can do water aerobics and all kinds of fitness type programs out near the water. And in addition, you can take classes. Just because you might live in a different neighborhood doesn't mean you can't learn something new too, right? We also have art and education where we can learn new things, learn to paint. Purposeful living, this is probably my most favorite category because everybody needs a reason to get outta bed in the morning, right? And this is our opportunity to give back and to do for others. And I'm sure that many people moving into our community have always been a part of a club or volunteered in their lifetime. So it's just an extension of doing that while you're living at Opus. We also focus on recreation and leisure. Who doesn't wanna have fun, right? So having those happy hours out by the pool, and those brews and blues out by the pool, and playing games and going out and having a good time. We all need to do that. And, you know, you make friends when you move into Opus, so it even makes it more fun. Also, spiritual journey. We're all taking care of our health is one of our big reasons to take care of our physical health, but also taking care of our spiritual health is super important, and that might not mean church for everyone. It might mean tai chi in the garden, or learning how to do a drum circle, or, you know, there's lotsa things that you can do for that, so we experience that too. And then also deep connections, building those friendships and connections with everybody around. So with that being said, it doesn't really matter where you live in Opus, we're focusing on what you want to do, and as individualized as you possibly want to be, and making friends, which is so, so important. And I'm sure Jim has a lot to say about how that focuses in on food as well.
- Absolutely does, thank you, Kris. So our dining experience is really personalized, and it's designed to meet the specific needs of our residents. So we want to ensure that all of the residents enjoy their favorite foods, regardless of where they are in life. So our goal and what we do is present a variety of textures and styles. So the nutritional needs of each resident is met, but we really want to be able to wow you with the plate presentation. So that's something that we truly believe in, and is important to take care of our residents. So we really cater to our residents, whether it's the full-service dining room, as we talked about already, the elaborate Sunday brunch for an elegant setting. It could be a quiet cocktail by the pool, a lighter bite in the bistro. It could even be a quiet evening in for room service. So we wanna be able to provide that country club type of setting, and that's our goal.
- Jim, before we leave you, I do have to ask, did you take any special secrets from the Peabody to add into the dining experience at Opus East Memphis?
- Well, a biggie for us will be we can't do the duck march. We're not permitted to do that one, but.
- Too bad.
- One of the first things that I got taught to do there when I was there, what seem like 100 years ago, it was ages ago, it was that maple bacon donut. So that's been a staple in that town for I don't even know how long, and it's just a tremendous, tremendous thing to do. And I love the Memphis Blue Martini as well. So I know it's not a balanced diet, but I'll eat that donut and drink that martini and have a little dip in the pool and be all set.
- You can have the balanced diet. It's everything in moderation, right, Jim?
- This is true. Absolutely true.
- Okay. I love that so much. Adding just a little bit of hometown flavor to the menu. Love it so much. Guys, this has been great so far. We're not quite done yet. Got a few more questions here, and we're getting to sort of the important part of this, the meat and the potatoes of how people can be a part of this community. And, you know, this is actually the second webinar we've had about Opus East Memphis. We did a webinar with the design team. And so, if you're looking for more content on Opus East Memphis, you can head on over to www.seniorlivinglive.com. Find it there. As I said in that webinar, and I'm gonna say it today, can they lower the age range so that I can move in? It just sounds wonderful. So guys, if someone is eligible to move into Opus, and I am not, unfortunately, what is the next step for that particular individual? And what should they do next if they wanna experience life at Opus East Memphis? And when can they really truly begin enjoying the good life there?
- So I would really encourage anyone that is interested to go to the website to get signed up for our newsletter. That'll give you a lot of information on a monthly basis about just everything that Opus has to offer. We are looking, our open date is set for March, 2023. We have been working with a contractor, a local Memphian company here, Montgomery Martin. So a lot of people that are here locally know Montgomery Martin, and that hitting those construction dates are extremely important. So we're focused on March 2023 is when we're moving residents in. What we're doing currently is we are taking deposits now. So, and we actually have about 26 deposits already. And so, what that will do is we're taking a $5,000 deposit, and we're hosting some different events for the depositors at the Dixon. We're doing some meet and greets, so they can start to meet their new neighbors now. You know, get introduced a little bit more to Opus and the team here in Memphis. But on that list, when we start calling people on the list, we'll call them probably middle of August because we will have our model and our sales office, let's just say September 1st. But we will be able to talk with everyone and say let's pick out the perfect cottage or the perfect apartment for you, and then we take the next step. So right now, kind of our big step is going ahead and getting on our wait list with a fully refundable $5,000 deposit. And then, as we start to get more things kind of going, more events, more opportunities to come in and see a model, and things like that. Those are the people that we will definitely call and talk with them.
- Okay, and does anybody else have anything to add to that? Yay or nay? Just that they're looking forward to it. I think we all are. Guys, this is a wonderful time to get your questions in. Remember, in order to be a part of the conversation, scroll down to the bottom of your screen. You're gonna see a little icon that says Q and A. Click on that, type out your questions there. You can also utilize the chat box, which is also in the list of icons at the bottom of your screen. Feel free to type your questions out there, and we will be happy to ask those questions to our panel and get all of your questions answered here today. So we plan to go to the top of the hour. We've got a little bit more than 30 minutes to go, so let's start with a question about healthcare. So maybe this is for Beth, and I'm just gonna throw questions out. Whoever feels like they've got the best answer can go ahead and chime in. Beth, I think this may be for you. So if somebody has a healthcare provider that maybe they wanna see off-site, can they see somebody on-site, maybe get the ease of use in that case?
- Mm-hmm, sure, we will be working with a local physician that will come on-site, probably about one day a week. It will be up to the resident if they want to choose to sign up with that physician because we do have residents that have been with that physician for 30 years and don't wanna leave 'em. It's just more of it being a convenience for them to sign up and say, "Hey, I wanna see the doctor when he comes in today." And be able to go down and say, "Yes, you got a scratchy throat. Let me write you a prescription." But is something that we will be able to do there at Opus.
- And I wanted to ask, too, about somebody who says, "Hey, I might need a little bit of help getting to and from my doctor's appointments. I wanna stick with the doctor I've got. They're not coming on-site." How are you gonna help those individuals?
- I can answer that one if you want me to. So we also provide transportation through engagement to and from appointments as well as out into the larger Memphis community. So if you wanna go shopping, we provide transportation for all of those things. If you have a special gym you like to go to or a special restaurant, we provide transportation for all of that, including your doctor's visits.
- Okay, that sounds wonderful. So again, we're getting needs met, right? This is what this is all about. We want you to do nothing except to walk in and enjoy. We want it all there for you. Quick question in the chat box, and Katie is utilizing the chat box perfectly. So, "What kinda perks do early depositors get?"
- So with the depositor's list, once we start working on the depositor's list and have them come in, and they say, "You know what, apartment 101 is the perfect apartment for me." And they pay the balance of their community fee at that time, then they get to be on our founder's list. So our founder's list is the top 30 new residents that would be moving in. And we have a whole list of things. They get a North Face jacket, they get an Opus cotton tote that they can take to the pool. They get two tickets to the Dixon exhibit. We've got free guest tickets for about four meals. We'll have a housewarming party for them. And then they can choose, they can either do a two-year rate lock, which a lotta people really like that option, or they could get 50% off the second person fee. So if it is a couple, they could utilize that as well. So, or they could get one month free. So being on the Founder's Club will only be for our first 30 depositors that kinda take that next step. They've committed in saying that's the specific apartment or cottage that I want to move into at Opus.
- Just said that there are definitely some perks, obviously, to being first, if you will. And the biggest one I can think of is just having the ability to pick and choose the spot you wanna live in-
- Yes.
- at the community. It could be right next to the pool, could be near the front, but at least you get that option.
- Exactly, mm-hmm.
- So, we've got a question from David, and this may go right back to you, Beth, "Please discuss costs and services included, such as meals, housekeeping, et cetera." And Beth, when you do that, can you also describe perhaps the cost differential between somebody living in their own home and maintaining that home to what they would pay to live at Opus East Memphis?
- So the community fee for Opus, we talked about we are not a long-term commitment, not a long-term contract with a big buy-in. So our community fee is $10,000 for an apartment or 15,000 for a cottage. So when you do put down the $5,000 deposit, that does go toward your community fee. So when you pick out that specific cottage or apartment, you would either have another $5,000 or 10,000 to put down. Depending upon the apartment size, our one bedrooms start about 41, $4,200 a month. And inside, so with the independent living apartments, you would have a wonderful, fabulous, continental breakfast that Jim may be able to talk about. And then, also, get to choose whether you wanna do lunch or dinner. You would also have biweekly housekeeping, utilities except for your phone 'cause a lotta people have their own cell phones. And then, you know, maintenance. So anything that needs to be taken care of in that apartment or cottage, we will take care and handle that for them. Some of the differences with the cost from being in your own home, it's gonna depend on how long you've been in your home. You know, some people have their home paid off, but they're still paying those property taxes, or the homeowner's insurance. And you're not gonna have those costs when you move to Opus. So, you know, there's a cost savings right there with your property taxes, and then changing to a renter's insurance. So, and then plus with the monthly fee, like what Kris has been talking about with engagement, you know, we've got transportation, we'll have a valet that will park your car. You know, we do have security. So there is a gate and fence all the way around the community as well for residents, you know, they can easily access. But if someone's coming to visit, they'll have to stop at the gate, either call the person in the cottage, or they may have to call up to the concierge and say, "I'm here to see Mrs. Smith in apartment 101," to be able to access the community as well.
- Great, great answer. And Jim, can you kind of dive in a little bit more into the dining options? So shall we mention the meals, maybe breakfast or lunch, or the lunch and dinner? I mean, what do people normally do in terms of dining? And what is offered? You mentioned the continental breakfast. I'd love to hear about that.
- Sure, so yeah, breakfast is a great way to start the day, of course. So, you know, we rise and shine very early, and get that coffee brewing for those that really need the kick first thing in the morning, of course. And then we personalize things throughout each morning. So we have a traditional, what we call a European continental breakfast, what most will understand the concept. And then, we'll have chef attended stations for daily features, and that could include Belgian waffles with fresh fruit compost, eggs Benedict, or an omelet station, pancakes with fruit toppings, that sorta thing. So that's something that we do to start out the day to really jumpstart everybody, get a good handle of the day. And primarily, our independent living communities are a big dinner house. So not to say we distract from lunch by any means, we're open all throughout the day, so it's no different than going to a restaurant or in a hotel where you can just walk in anytime that's convenient for you, have a seat. We've got a restaurant menu with a variety of options to choose from. We'll change those things out daily, weekly, and according to the season. Get fresh fish and fresh beef and produce in every single morning. And our chefs really take a lotta pride in creating a very fresh menu that is very localized and very personalized based on our residents. So we'll also do guest meals. So bring in your family, bring in your friends, and we'll do a private catered event for you, by the pool, in the courtyard, in a private dining room, that sorta thing. So we really strive for creating that country club and resort feel. Stress free, worry free. We'll sit down, and we'll plan a great menu with you and say, "Great, bring your family, bring your friends," and then just enjoy yourselves.
- You and your team of chefs at all of our communities do, Jim, is if somebody celebrates Hanukkah or maybe another holiday that maybe others don't, you can hand over a recipe to the chefs and say, "Hi, I would really like it if we could maybe make this." And you'll add it to the menu. I think it's wonderful. It's a wonderful gesture to make somebody feel at home. They're getting one of their favorite meals that they look forward to all year round. So I love that very much.
- Absolutely.
- Yeah, it's great. So our viewers are absolutely paying attention. They are asking great follow-up questions. So we'll start with a question here from Suzanne, and this is going to be directed to Beth, "Is the community fee a one-time charge or is it per year?"
- The community fee is a one-time charge.
- Perfect, asked and answered very quick, easy. Thank you so much for that question, and continue to ask more if you have them. From anonymous, "What is the cost of memory care?"
- With memory care, it's going to depend upon, again, the apartment size that they choose. We do have a apartment that is, it's called a companion suite, but in honesty, I've never seen one like it. You share a hallway, and then you have your own bathroom, your own room per se. It's not like when you think about sharing a companion suite. We only have two of those, though. They start about 3,600, and then it goes up from there, depending on if you go into a one bedroom.
- Yeah, and I think this is a really good time to move on to a question here about staffing, especially when we talk about memory care, right? Because typically, we find that that kinda care, it could be difficult. But for our staff members, it truly is a calling. And they've got the experience, they've got the education. We really strive to find those individuals. So Beth, again, directed to you, what are you doing at the community? What is Arbor doing to ensure that we are getting the creme de la creme of staff for Opus East Memphis?
- I think that it's important, always thought it was important, that you hire for heart, not skill. You know, there are things that you can teach and train, you know, someone that you bring in, specific to the Arbor way, and talking about deep connections, and doing those things. But if somebody, like you said, if they have the heart, and so when you're interviewing and looking for those people, and you know, I've been in the Memphis area for four years, so I know some of those good people that are out there. And you know, when you can hire one person with a really good heart that wants to be there, they will bring their friends that feel the same way because you want everyone to want to be there, to love and enjoy taking care of residents. And then, Arbor can train 'em on the Arbor way, and building those connections, doing all the engagement, and just making it meaningful for the residents and the families. You know, that's really important, too, is the families.
- Yeah, and Kris, I wanna get you involved in this conversation as well as we talk about staff. And you know, engagement is a really big part of this. I mean, maybe the difference between living at home, right? In your own home, it's that engagement portion that you're not gonna get doing that unless you actually leave the house. Here, you can stay in your apartment, in your cottage, if you will, and have that engagement sort of come to you. So how important is it for you to find those individuals who, again, have that heart?
- Well, it's super important because that's why a lotta times people move to a community, so that you're not isolated and that you're not alone. And the beauty of living at Opus is that you can choose, pick and choose what it is you wanna do. You know, there are social butterflies who love to do everything. And then there are people like me who will love happy hour and book club. So we offer a lot of different ideas for everyone. And the great thing is, like Beth said, we hire for heart. So our engagement folks are really listening and building those deep connections with our residents to find out what it is they wanna do. And then we program around your interests, not what we think you wanna do. So we're always listening, and we're always asking. And if somebody comes to me and says, "Hey, I wanna go on a cruise." Okay, well, we're gonna figure out how to make that happen. So that's what we're here for. It's an all-exclusive experience. And again, it's all for you. So, you know, that's what we do. And that's what makes it fun.
- Of course, and Jim, I would not be doing my job if I didn't mention that this is also an important factor when it comes to food. It's not like you're just at any restaurant, right? And you have chefs that are serving food to people. This is a situation where sometimes as we get older, we lose our sense of hot and cold, right? We also lose the ability for certain types of taste, like something may not feel or taste salty enough, and it is, but you're trying to balance the health on that end as well. So again, how important is it to find the right people who can come in and provide those wonderful meals, and Dining with Dignity program, which is so huge, day in and day out.
- Agreed, it is. So one of the words that we use a lot in our dining experience is personalization. So we do that for our residents to meet their specific needs, and we'll personalize menus, textures, plate presentations based on their needs. But as you mentioned, it does start with our people, right? So Beth mentioned, hey, we hire for heart, and we do a lotta that as well. So we may bring somebody in that really has had no formal culinary training. Do we wanna get 'em to that point? Of course, we do, and that's something that we provide. We've got a recognized program by the American Culinary Federation, so they can actually go through, complete chef training at that technical program, and become a chef on paper at the end of it while they're working with us. So they might start out in one role, and they'll end up leading a community or being a chef at one of our communities by the time that they're finished, and they've gone through the program with us. So again, that customization and that personalization, yes, the end result is that resident, which is our goal. But it does start with our people. And so, we will customize a training program and kind of a working program. But as long as we find that right person, we invest in that person, and we wanna keep them for a long time.
- Yeah, yep, and Arbor is very good at doing that. How do we keep the best people? And try to zero or no turnover, that is the goal, right? We want people who are happy where they're at, you pay them well, you treat them well. That is something that the Arbor Company truly values. They value their employees and their staff, as well as those who choose to live in our communities, and we thank you for that. Back to some Q and A. So David with a follow-up question to his earlier question, "Is internet and TV provided? Also, what is the second person fee?" which we mentioned would be taken care of as part of the Founder Club, correct?
- Yes, they can do the second person fee could be 50% off if they do the Founder's Club, if they're one of the first 30. So the second person fee is $1,000. So they would get 50% off of that if they were part of the Founder's Club. Internet, so we're still in construction phase, so we have not 100% say that internet will be included. I believe looking in that direction, but there's still the option that it may not be included for the cottages. So those are some things that, as we're finishing up construction and fiber optics and working with Comcast and all those kind of fun things that happen during construction, we're still working through at this point. And cable, I think he said cable. Cable will be included. It's just we're trying to work through the internet right now.
- Perfect, we hope that that answers your questions. And keep 'em coming. Those are some really good questions. You've obviously thought this out. I love that, thank you. From anonymous, and these questions sort of go together, "Will memory care be a separate campus?" And then they said, "I didn't understand about the facility and memory care." So can you talk about what that looks like when you walk in, from the visual, where it's located, and how it is different from the rest of the community.
- Sure, so when you pull onto the Opus campus, you would, driving straight on, you're going to see the main independent living building. As you turn, or you go to the right, you'll see another entrance. That is assisted living and memory care. It is all connected inside. So you can go from over in the independent living building and walk over to assisted living and memory care. With the assisted living and memory care building, they do have their own entrance to make it easier for families to pull up to the front, drop off their loved one there at the door. It's covered, so if it's raining like it does, or just to protect you from the Memphis heat, you know, a family member can do that. Now, as you're in the assisted living and memory care building, memory care is only on the first floor. So we only have memory care as you walk down the hall. You'll pass the physical therapy gym. So we will have physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy. And you would go just to the left there, it's only one way you can go, and it is a secure unit, so the doors are locked. And then, as you go back into the memory care area, the memory care apartments are there, their dining room, they have their own courtyard, all of their engagement activities. Everything that's really needed for those residents is right there within reach. There's 20 apartments in memory care, so it's easily accessed.
- Yeah, and just again, so that we make sure that we get this point across about aging in place, which we talk so much about in all of our webinars. Beth, can you really hammer that home in terms of when somebody moves into this community, if they continue to need additional care, we've got the neighborhoods for you.
- Mm-hmm, yeah, and being in independent living, there are options for someone in independent, but as you transition over into assisted, there are different levels of care. So, you know, someone may, as they transition to assisted living, may only need help with medications versus a different resident may need help with dressing and grooming. So that's two different levels that someone may need, but they could also progress. So if someone may come in, only need help with their medications, and then a year, two years down the road, they may need to add on more services with the dressing and grooming, and even transition into bathing, and things of that nature. If it becomes an issue cognitively, then, and their memory, you know, whether it's dementia or Alzheimer's or anything, Parkinson's related dementia, then they can transition over into memory care. And they're gonna have all of those services included in memory care as well. So a lot of options for anyone looking to, you know, if they do need to make transitions, it's right there on the Opus campus.
- Yeah, and we then throw out, well, why is that important? That's important because these moves can be very difficult, right? And when you make a move, you'd like to make it just once. But that doesn't mean that your care is going to stop if you move into independent living. So we make it so that you still have your friends, you still are familiar with the staff. You're familiar with the grounds. You're familiar with your apartment, even if you have to switch apartments. But everything remains the same, and that is what's so key about aging in place. So I'm glad we had a chance to talk about that. And before we leave that topic, just a quick note from Jim and from Kris about aging in place, how it not only affects those who are maybe making the transition from independent living to assisted to memory care from a living standpoint, but it also changes in terms of engagement, right? It's all catered to that particular individual and their needs when it comes to engagement and food.
- It does, and it doesn't. So we still have the foundation of our engagement calendar remains the same. It just needs to be changed according to the needs of our residents. So let's say you move into assisted living. They still can come to independent living and join some of the clubs and groups that they always did so that they remain friends and active with the people they already knew. If you move into memory care, a lotta times we've transitioned them, so it's really great because for engagement, they still know the staff that are working with them. They still have friends that are in the neighborhood with them. And they still can come out and join entertainment and join different things. So a lotta people have the stigma or the feeling that once you go to memory care, you just go to memory care, and that's so not true. Because just because you live there doesn't mean that you still can't participate in the things that you enjoyed previously. So that's a stigma that I hope we'll be able to knock out because that's not the way it is. Is engagement different? Yes, it is. We focus on group activities in memory care, and we focus on their best abilities. So we offer activities to help them feel successful, to help them feel like they've achieved something. We also have what's called a namaste neighborhood or a namaste room within our memory care neighborhoods. And, you know, sometimes just like you and I, when we get overstimulated by too much happening in a main area, this is kind of like envision a spa. You go into this area, you sit down in a nice reclining chair. There's beautiful music and nature videos on the TV. And you have somebody providing you with a hand massage or a foot massage, or just spending time with you one-on-one. So it's a great place within our memory care neighborhood that we can encourage residents to come to, and just get a different feeling in that neighborhood as well. So again, we provide the same types of activities all throughout the community. They're just different based on needs.
- And, Jim, independent, assisted living, not so much different in terms of dining. But with the Dining with Dignity program, I mean, you're turning wonderful meals that everybody's getting in independent and assisted living into wonderful puff pastries that if you've lost your dexterity, you can enjoy that too.
- You're absolutely correct. So the foundations, like Kris mentioned, our foundation is the same. Our residents love barbecue, right? Which you're in Memphis, you'd better love barbecue. They love barbecue, so our job and our goal is to provide the barbecue for that resident, just as an example, of course. But with our award-winning program, our Dining with Dignity program, we modify the texture and the presentation, and we'll do more of a tapas style, put it in a pastry, that sort of thing. So we really wow them with that plate presentation, as I said, but it will still meet the personalized need of that resident as they progress and age. And so, they just need a little bit of a different style, but their go-to favorite is still barbecue, so they should still be able to enjoy that, and that's what we do for them.
- Yeah, and if you guys are not familiar with Arbor, what Jim has created in sorta starting that Dining Dignity program, there's that puff pastry that is my favorite, which is the Thanksgiving dinner, and it has everything in one puff pastry. It is absolutely fantastic. We actually did a video on that as well, so feel free to jog on over and catch "Senior Living LIVE!" We've got that video there, too. All right, back to questions. "Can I hire a private caregiver/personal trainer/house cleaner to come to my apartment in independent living?"
- Yes, you can. You know, we, of course, want to have them introduced to us, make sure that everything is above board kinda with them because they will be coming into our community, maybe on a daily basis or something of that nature.
- Great, I've got a question here from Diane. Before we get to that, we've got about 12 minutes remaining in our webinar. Great time to get in your questions, everybody. You're doing a great job so far. Diane wants to know, "Does the spouse move with a person needing next level of care?" And I really want you to hammer this home. If you're independent, you don't have to do that. Your spouse can move where they need to go, and you can live in the same community. That's correct, right, Beth?
- Yes, yeah, so lots of different options with that. So if you do, let's say, we have a couple in independent living. You know, maybe they're in a cottage or in the independent living apartment, and their spouse needs more assistance, maybe memory care. You know, they can move into memory care. Maybe the one that's in independent living wants to look at a one bedroom apartment. Maybe instead of being in a cottage or being in a two bedroom, they think, "Well, I'll downsize a little bit, come into the main building, make it easier for me to walk over, and see my husband who's in memory care." So there's lots of options that are available for couples. They can go together as well. So some couples have been together for 40, 50, 60 years, and they want to stay together, and so they still have that option as well. So we'll definitely work with them.
- Yeah, and one of the communities Arbor also does this with, or there are several, but one in particular down in Texas, I just remember speaking with a woman whose husband needed memory care services, and she just couldn't help him anymore in their own home. And she said the best thing she could have ever have done for herself was to live in her own apartment in independent living, have somebody who could do the right, do right by her husband, if you will, with the care he needed in memory care. She can live her life the way she feels. She's active, still very much independent, but then go see her husband anytime she wants to. She said she just felt like it made her a better wife. And I just, I loved hearing that story. And that is a very common thing that we see in many of these Arbor communities, and we hope will be the case at Opus East Memphis.
- Yes, definitely.
- So yes, you can live with your spouse. We love that. All right, so we talk about the opening, 2023. We talked about the Founder's Club just a little bit. How many more spots are still available for the Founder's Club? And when will the sales trailer be open, Beth?
- So the Founder's Club will consist of the first 30. So right now, we're just doing deposits. And that Founder's Club will be based on you picking out that specific apartment or cottage for yourself. So that's key, get on the deposit list now. That's who we'll start calling first to come in and pick out the location, the size, just everything that you're wanting from the apartment or cottage at Opus. Our sales trailer, so it will be a cottage that we will actually have as a sales office. And we'll actually have a cottage as a model. September 1st is about the date that we'll probably be able to start having some people come in, look at the cottage, look at some of the design features that we'll have. We'll be able to show 'em colors of what the apartments will have, textures, things of that nature. So they'll be able to see what the carpet will look like in the independent living apartment and all those kind of fun things. So myself, Kim, or Jill, we are here. We are ready to talk about Opus East Memphis to anybody, and would love for everybody to be able to come and join us as well.
- And I know you guys talked about the Dixon Gallery and Gardens. And when I say it is literally right next door, it is like in the backyard. Like, if they have their symphony, you're gonna hear that wonderful music on your patio. It's gonna just be so wonderful. It's just a wonderful location, I can't say it enough. Before we wind down, guys, we've got a couple more questions in the chat box that we'll get to. So we talked about the perks for the depositors. Now, if one couple needs short-term assisted living, would that be an option?
- Probably moving forward, doing some sort of respite, we may be able to. We don't have that set up yet, again, as we start to transition through. So it is something that we could, just a short-term respite is something that we're looking into.
- Okay, and you did mention that pets are allowed, but let's get a little bit more specific. What kind of pets are allowed? And is there a weight minimum or a maximum, I should say.
- Yes, we have to. Like 25 pounds or less. You know, we don't want, and I get to meet all of them before they come into the community, which is a tough job, but I'll do it. And, you know, we love pets. We've got a wonderful pet park that will be there, specifically for our four-legged friends. We're gonna have a beauty salon for our pets there as well, so they can get groomed, and residents can bring their little pet down to get taken care of as well. So probably about, it'll depend. You know, two pets is usually about the norm.
- Okay, so a salon for mom and a salon for the-
- Yes, yes.
- the furry loved one.
- Yes.
- That's a new one. I love it so much. Okay, so we mentioned pets. Yes, guys, it's allowed. Any other questions? We're sliding into the last maybe six minutes or so here with our panel. Again, a great time to get your questions in. You can be anonymous. I think this is just a great way for people to get all the information that they want and not feel pressured, right? This is all about just giving you the information to arm yourself to make the right decision for you. All right, so we talked about the depositors. So how are you staying in contact with those individuals, Beth?
- We have lots of ways that we are talking with everyone. The team, we will call people individually just to check in, touch base with them. We have some wonderful, what we call sales mails videos, that we will send via a text message or an email. We have a fabulous newsletter that goes out once a month as well that is just packed full of information. So anybody that, really, that we can talk with, we're doing presentations, we're meeting with some of our depositors at the Dixon, just to do a little meet and greet, and get to know your neighbor. We are just starting those this week, too, so.
- Okay, perfect, and maybe Jim, you can answer this, or Beth, what is the dress code for dining? Sharon wants to know that answer.
- Well, that is a good one, innit?
- It is.
- So, certainly, if you're dining poolside, we want you to dress appropriate for that, right?
- Of course.
- So we go with a mindset of what you would do at a resort or a country club, right? So if you're going into our bistro, the wine bar in the afternoon, that sorta thing, doing the khakis and a golf shirt may be appropriate. You'll dress a little bit more elegant and a little bit more fine for that Sunday brunch or that evening meal. We do allow each of our communities to make the determination. And that's included with, a lotta times with our Founder's Club, of, hey, do we wanna do jackets in the evening for the gentleman or not? And so, we allow the community to make that specific recommendation. We just ask that, especially at dinnertime in our fine dining restaurant, that there are no shorts. So, you know, certainly from the slacks, the khakis, that sorta thing. So more of the resort and country club type of feel.
- And I tend to find that walking into these communities, these are generations that don't have a problem with this. They love,-
- Agreed.
- they love dressing up, and they find it appropriate to do that for dinner, especially. And it is a huge social hour. Dinner, and of course, we talk about happy hour. Those are all wonderful times to really see and greet, meet people, and hang out with your friends. And that's really what it's all about, just relaxing, living in a resort-style location. That is what Opus East Memphis is all about. Guys, as we wind down, I'm gonna ask for your final thoughts on this community, maybe your favorite part, or what you're most looking forward to about Opus East Memphis that you can share with our viewers. Beth, we'll start with you.
- Whew, there's so much. There's so much. I think that with Opus and Arbor combined, I think the thing that I'm so excited about is truly the deep connections that you make with, you know, Kim and Jill and I are talking with all of these potential prospects, and you get to know 'em so well. And having them finally be able to come into the community, and just have that experience with them. I think that's what I'm looking forward to the most. And then I think, with Jim and Kris, I'm looking forward to the food and the engagement, and how much fun we're gonna have.
- And of course, I'm excited about the engagement. I'm really excited about the partnerships with the Dixon, and hopefully, with Rhodes College and being able to offer OLLI, lifelong learning classes. And just to give people the opportunity to pursue interests and pursue hobbies that they've never had the chance to do. That's what gives me joy. I can't wait.
- So certainly, we want to wow everybody with our daily meals and our different settings, but we really want to be able to accent our special event options. So being able to bring your family and friends in, sit at a courtyard, inside the courtyard, and have the blues and jazz band going, having some light bites, some butler passed hors d'oeuvres, and really just relaxing and having a stress-free type of environment. That's really what it is that we wanna be able to provide.
- Fantastic, I love it. And we were gonna close on that, but we still wanna get to Kevin's question. He just came in right at the end here, wants to know if there's a card room. Kris Frankel, maybe that's for you or Beth.
- We don't have a card room per se, nothing that's labeled like that. We have a theater. We've got lots of areas, like we showed, kinda with the open areas with the bistro, things like that, that you can definitely do cards in.
- Yeah.
- But I do know people that play cards look for a specific kind of table. So we will definitely look at all of that when we're putting the furniture into those rooms to make sure that the table accommodates those card players.
- Perfect, and again, the beauty of all this, guys, you can move in, everything is great, but if you find something, you're just, man, I just, I need a card table. You can go to Beth. You can go to your engagement coordinator or director and say, "Hey, we'd like to have this." And guess what? Probably in 48 hours, you're gonna end up with that particular item. That is how we work at the Arbor Company with our communities, and especially, Opus East Memphis. Guys, thank you so much for joining us today. Beth, Jim, Kris, we appreciate your time.
- It is our pleasure.
- Thank you.
- It was fun, thank you.
- Thank you, and to all of our viewers, and we've got a quick thank you coming in from Kevin. He said, "Very informative." That's what this was all about. Again, we wanted to arm you with as much information as possible. No stress, no pressure. You just get all your answers and can move on about your day. We do hope you become a founder, become one of the Founder's Club members. That would be fantastic. So you're probably wondering, "Okay, I've got this information. Now what do I do?" Well, we certainly hope we answered all your questions. If you have additional questions, or you wanna put that deposit down, we've got an email that will be sent to you directly with the email you used to RSVP for this webinar. You'll get that email tomorrow. That will direct you to a link to the website that can get you going. You can make a phone call, go through the website directly. Please be sure to contact us. Stop by, swing by, take a look. Everybody, we appreciate you being here. Have a wonderful day.
