Construction almost done on Arlington Heights memory care facility

Construction is nearing completion on a 72-bed memory care facility in Arlington Heights, expected to open this spring.

Waverly Inn will be the fourth senior living community of Olympia, Washington-based Koelsch Senior Communities to open in the suburbs since last year. Located on four acres at 511 W. Rand Road, the $17 million facility will be geared to those with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

What will be different from the other Koelsch memory care centers that opened last year in Northbrook, Bloomingdale and Glen Ellyn is that the Arlington Heights community also will feature two neighboring duplex cottages for spouses of those living at the main memory care building, said Courtney Bayron, Koelsch's director of community relations.

Those buildings could be complete by February or March, she said.

Meanwhile, the shell and roof of the one-story, 38,685-square-foot memory care building is up. Crews are now finishing installation of drywall and other interior work. Completion is expected sometime between April and June, Bayron said.

The project was approved by the Arlington Heights village board in early 2016, along with a rezoning of the property from residential to institutional, and a groundbreaking was held that summer.

When it opens, the facility will employ about 50 people, including a nursing staff providing 24-hour, hourly and respite care.

The interior courtyard is expected to feature a classic car - a trademark of Koelsch communities - and walls in the lobby will have old pictures and memorabilia from Arlington Heights history, Bayron said.

"It's a really warm familiar environment that helps people with memory loss that, 'This is the place where I'm supposed to be,'" she said.

By the end of 2018, Koelsch anticipates operating 34 senior living communities in eight states.