Assisted living expansion in S. Elgin includes pilot for dementia care

A 132-unit assisted living facility in South Elgin is about to become the largest campus developed by the largest provider of affordable assisted living communities in Illinois.

An expansion project at Heritage Woods of South Elgin has been under construction since the end of April — as anyone who drives by the intersection of McLean Boulevard and Bowes Road has probably noticed. The massive project will add 18 affordable assisted living units and open White Oaks at Heritage Woods of South Elgin with 32 affordable memory care apartments for adults with Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia.

Already reservations are in for almost all of the units, into which new residents are expected to move at the end of October.

Rick Banas is the vice president of strategic marketing for BMA Management Ltd., which has managed Heritage Woods of South Elgin since it opened in 2009. Banas said there is a significant need for this type of housing across the entire state. He said that adding onto the existing South Elgin community makes for a faster turnaround than starting from scratch somewhere else.

BMA has developed 35 assisted living communities, and 33 of them operate through the state’s Supportive Living Program, which makes communities like Heritage Woods an affordable alternative to nursing homes.

“It’s a wonderful program because it allows us the opportunity to serve older adults of all incomes, including those on Medicaid who need some help to maintain their independence,” Banas said.

Through the program, state-approved assisted living facilities can be reimbursed for services not normally covered by Medicaid. The individual is still responsible for room and board, according to the state guidelines.

The 32 new memory care apartments are part of a five-site pilot project to include assisted living for dementia patients under the Supportive Living Program umbrella. Banas said the hope is that the pilot projects prove successful and the state permanently expands its program.

Once construction is done at Heritage Woods of South Elgin, the campus will take the place as BMA’s largest assisted living facility, usurping Heritage Woods of Batavia.

The expansion is expected to generate 35 new jobs.