Onelife Senior Living (Onelife), a family-owned developer and operator of assisted living and memory care communities, announced that The Esther at Riverbend will open this fall, prior to the holiday season. The highly-anticipated 103-room assisted living community, which is located on Game Farm Road in Springfield, next to its existing memory care community, will offer daily activities, ample gathering spaces, and more than 16 types of private suites with a variety of floor plans and features. Todd Whitehead, a three-year veteran of Onelife, has been named Senior Executive Director of the new community.
The Esther’s detailed, modern farmhouse design is expressed most fully in common dining, meeting, gathering, and quiet areas. The community’s common areas are spread among every floor, anchored by The 1923 Bistro with a large pergola right outside, The Drake Club Room, Timber View Library, Wild Rose Tea Room, and The Gregory, the all-community dining room.
“It is clear to us that assisted living is in need of, not just more options, but environments that are inspiring places where residents, caregivers, and service providers feel they are at home,” said Zack Falk, founder and CEO of Onelife. “With the opening of The Esther, we are striving to fill the growing need for assisted living in the Eugene-Springfield area while creating a place where families can visit and connect with parents and grandparents on-site, and where those residents can build community in a safe space.”
The Esther is especially designed to accommodate seniors of all ages who require varying types of assistance in their daily lives. Younger residents may move to assisted living for the community setting, reduced isolation, balanced meals, exercise classes, and planned group activities. Meanwhile, specialized care is available for residents who need a higher level of physical aid or medical attention while living at The Esther. Next to The Esther is another Onelife community, The Rawlin at Riverbend, which specializes in memory care and, adjacent to The Esther, creates a campus-style configuration available to residents who develop Alzheimer’s or other dementia that would be better treated in a specialized environment offered there. The proximity between The Esther and The Rawlin expands community-building opportunities for residents and increases the availability of care.
The Esther mimics the small-town feel of Springfield, drawing upon its characteristically warm, welcoming reputation. Located in the Riverbend area, it is close to I-5 and the sprawling University of Oregon campus, and less than one mile from PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend.
“When we were conceptualizing The Esther, it was really important for us to bring the outside in through design approaches and details that are grounding and purposeful while ensuring that they are safe. The Esther is unique in that surrounding the entire building is an undulating walking path anchored by a bountiful landscape offering seasonal colors and graceful changes in scale to be enjoyed by residents during their outdoor walks. We also added planters for gardening and a backyard fire pit for residents to enjoy outdoor social events with friends and family,” said Patrick Bickler, the Salem-based architect ofThe Esther. “Springfield is such a beautiful area, so we took advantage of that by adding several outdoor porches and vast windows that face the stunning Coburg Hills.”
Todd Whitehead has been named executive director of The Esther. Mr. Whitehead joined Onelife in 2020, and will move from the company’s Salem community, Battle Creek Memory Care, where he was the executive director for the 72-room community focused on residents with dementia. Prior to his work with Onelife, Mr. Whitehead spent time working at Brookdale and Sinceri. He will provide additional support for The Rawlin by overseeing the campus alongside its Executive Director.
With seven out of ten people requiring assisted living care in their lifetime, about two percent of Americans currently live in assisted living communities, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2040, the U.S. senior population is projected to nearly double, necessitating almost one million more assisted living beds that exist today.
The 16 different floor plans span studios, one bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments as large as 1,010 square feet. No matter the floor plan, all rooms have luxurious amenities like large, light-filled windows with Pacific Northwest views, abundant storage, and stainless steel appliances including refrigerators and microwaves.
Residents will be offered an array of indoor and outdoor common areas that accommodate entertainment and a sense of community. Purposeful activities that inspire and facilitate education, participation, and fun are both tailored to residents’ personal interests and beneficial to maintaining strong cognitive abilities. Activities include but are not limited to music programs, weekly outings, cooking demonstrations, art classes, brain games, and book clubs.
For resident’s guests, The Esther will provide a complimentary stay at the hospitality suite on the third floor. The principal goal of the hospitality suite is to break down some of the barriers to visiting residents, like needing to find and pay for a hotel stay, or needing to rent a car to travel between the hotel and assisted living community.
With various floor plans to choose from and dozens of specialized care options, pricing honors personal preferences and budget. To contact Onelife or schedule a tour at The Esther, visit estherassistedliving.com.
Founded in 2009, Oregon-based Onelife Senior Living is a family-owned developer and operator of a growing collection of assisted living communities designed to provide seniors the care, support, and encouragement they need to live healthy, happy lives. Onelife combines advancements in healthcare with innovations in residential hospitality to keep seniors engaged, families connected, and communities whole.