Chinese Delegation Studies Lenbrook for Best Practices
China’s Seniors Outnumber US Seniors Tenfold; Country’s Senior Living Development Ramps Up
ATLANTA, (Oct. 18, 2012) – A delegation of top financial services and insurance executives from China recently toured Lenbrook, Atlanta’s first and only nationally accredited senior living community, to see first-hand the operations of this state-of-the-art retirement community.
The visit marked Taikang Life Insurance Company’s second trip to Lenbrook in two years. Its subsidiary, Taikang Property Investment Co. Ltd., was one of the first corporations in China to obtain government approval for development of a retirement community, and is now beginning work on its third senior living project in China with Atlanta-based, international architecture and land planning firm THW Design.
Lenbrook is Atlanta’s first and only retirement community to become nationally accredited by the CARF/CARC (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitative Facilities/Continuing Care Accreditation Commission). In 2010, the American Institute of Architects honored Lenbrook with an Award of Merit and selected Lenbrook’s $160 million state-of-the-art facility and campus expansion to be a featured project in its “2010 Design for Aging Review” publication. THW, also the design firm for Lenbrook’s recent expansion, organized the tours for Taikang so they could see a best-in-class example of an urban senior living community.
“Observing how we operate and serve over 400 residents daily proved inspiring and informative to Taikang last year. They wanted a second group of company leaders to glean a first-hand look at best practices in delivering a superior senior living community experience,” said Chris Keysor, chief financial officer of Lenbrook. Lenbrook offers resort-style amenities, activities and 360 independent living apartment homes plus the full continuum of senior health care including personal care suites, skilled nursing and rehabilitation services.
In addition to studying Western senior housing models, Taikang is also exploring Australian and Japanese development projects. “In addition to several full-scale community developments in Beijing, we’re working with Taikang on a 50,000-sq. ft. senior living demonstration building in Qingdao that will be used to educate Chinese industry about best practices in senior living community design,” said Song Cheng, vice president of international services for THW. THW accompanied the Taikang executives on the Lenbrook tour.
China’s growing wave of seniors (those 60 and older) has prompted the government to target adding more than 3 million senior housing beds in China by 2015.
About Lenbrook
Founded in 1983, Lenbrook is Atlanta’s only nationally accredited, not-for-profit continuing care retirement community. Its mission is to enable its residents to enjoy the gifts of independence, good health and personal fulfillment through engaging facilities, programs and services. Lenbrook’s major renovation and expansion in 2008 brought the Buckhead senior living community to over 1 million total square feet of living space, amenities and healthcare services including: 363 independent residences, 60 skilled nursing beds, 16 personal care suites, a healthcare clinic, wellness center, all-season indoor pool, 48,000 square feet of plaza gardens, three unique restaurants, an event center, movie theater, library, computer classroom and more. Visit www.lenbrook-atlanta.org or call 404-233-3000.