Buena Vida Estates in West Melbourne, Florida Marks 28th Anniversary With Service Announcments

Buena Vida Estates continuing care retirement community(CCRC) has recently outlined a future in which adults aged 65 and over will have access to more health, wellness and spiritual services within the complex.  Buena Vida’s recent expansion, completed in October 2009, nearly doubled the size of the community and included the addition of 27 apartment homes, 32 private assisted-living apartments, 16 specialized memory care apartments and a physician-directed health center named The Sullivan Health Center. A quaint Main Street area was added to offer even more resort-style activities and amenities.  He said Buena Vida’s next venture is under way and includes plans to open a clinic, additional physician office space and an expanded rehabilitation facility.

"Although our resort-style and family-oriented community has become known as one of Florida’s premier retirement communities over the last 28 years, we at Buena Vida realize there is still so much more to offer our residents,” said Dan Carter, Buena Vida’s president and chief executive officer.

Advertisement

“Nearly all the new apartment homes are sold-out,” Carter said.  People have recognized the value that Buena Vida represents and the need to plan ahead. Response of the new apartments has been so great, we have actually started a waiting list. It won’t be long until the entire community is sold out.”

Don Spalding, executive director at Buena Vida Estates said, “Since our expansion in 2009, we’ve added a doctor of rehabilitative medicine to work with our rehab provider and partnered with a HEARx audiologist and a podiatrist. We are also speaking with a dentist to provide on-site services and an ophthalmologist who will be directed by our medical director, Dr. John Potomski and his team.”

“The benefit is, physicians will be able to see residents on-site without having to leave the community for appointments if they choose,” added Carter.

Advertisement

Once the expansion of additional health-care services begins, Buena Vida will be adding a non-denominational chapel that is expected to be completed by year-end.

Carter said the motivation behind the expansion of services and amenities at Buena Vida “is about treating people right and meeting their needs. My mother still lives here, but my father passed away last year, so as a son, I am concerned about her needs, which are probably not that much different than other people’s needs. My mother is the resident’s strongest advocate. She lets me know right away if there’s something that needs to be done better or done differently, which is great feedback. I also think that it’s just good business to deliver what people need and want so they’ll want to move here.”

Carter added, “People often ask me when we will be done with our expansion and my answer always is — probably never.  There is always something new that we want to offer our residents.”