Newly renovated assisted-living home gives operator access to Philly, South Jersey

By the end of February, the first 35 residents of the newest Spring Hills Senior Communities will have moved into what was once an eyesore off I-295 in Cherry Hill.

By the end of February, the first 35 residents of the newest Spring Hills Senior Communities will have moved into what was once an eyesore off I-295 in Cherry Hill.

Formerly the Sheraton Poste Inn, Spring Hills Cherry Hill will be fully operational as a 150-bed assisted-living community by winter’s end.

President and CEO Alexander Markowits said the new Cherry Hill location, which was gutted and reconstructed in less than a year, opens up Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs as a prime market for senior living, as well as preparing the company for changes coming to the senior living industry.

Markowits said the redesign of the building, with large rooms and full kitchens, provides residents a five-star hotel experience, with personalized care as needed. The design is intended to appeal not only to prospective residents, but their baby-boomer children, who are influential in making living arrangement decisions for their parents.

“You always keep an eye on the future, but there’s an immediate impact,” Markowits said.

Markowits said the company is starting to prepare for longer stays by their residents, as Medicare and Medicaid push for seniors to stay longer in assisted living homes before moving to a nursing home.

“What we’re getting now is someone who is at a much later stage” in care, Markowits said. “In an environment where they could really flourish or really do well, it benefits the residents that move in sooner, so that they could really enjoy their golden years.”

The Cherry Hill location is the largest of the three New Jersey locations for the company, which also has assisted living communities in Morristown and the Somerset section of Franklin. The company also operates facilities and home-based care in Florida, Ohio and Virginia.