Josh Crisp, Pastor Ronnie Phillip, Jr., Denise Craig, Mark Taylor, Sean Chalmers and Kevin O’Brien break ground on the future site of Dominion Senior Living of Hixson, which was acquired by the company from Abba’s House.
The Dominion Senior Living leadership team gathered with a greater purpose at the site of their new Hixson assisted living and memory care community, at 2143 Northpoint Blvd. Not only did they mark the official start of construction with a ceremonial groundbreaking, as is done at most businesses, but they came together with their community to celebrate a new and unique culture of care that will soon be available to seniors in Hixson, said officials. Dominion Senior Living of Hixson will provide faith-based senior living care for up to 82 residents in 32 assisted living and 32 memory care apartments, across 47,000 square feet.
The property was acquired from Abba’s House, and the church will serve as one of many spiritual partners for the senior living community. During the ceremony, corporate chaplain John Dee dedicated the grounds through prayer and placed a Bible in the foundation of the building with company leaders’ handwritten prayers. This action shows that their commitment to faith is in every part of the community’s development, said officials.
Pastor Ronnie Phillips, Jr. with Abba’s House spoke about his church’s excitement to have a faith-based senior living community close by, and he looks forward to the work they’ll do together with the help of other area churches.
Representatives from the Dominion Senior Living corporate office included Josh Crisp, vice
president of Dominion Senior Living; Mark Taylor, president of Dominion Senior Living; Sean Chalmers, director of asset management/operations for Dominion Senior Living; and Kevin O’Brien, development associate. Local attendees included Pastor Phillips and Denise Craig, chief financial officer of Abba’s House.
Dominion Senior Living of Hixson is expected to open by the end of the second quarter of 2016 and bring about 50 jobs to the area. Each trained, hospitable staff person will cater to the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of every resident through purposeful experiences.
“Our family-oriented culture is really what sets us apart from any other senior living community in the area, and we know that our residents will benefit from the bonds created with the staff members in our community,” said Mr. Taylor. “Our goal is to provide meaningful activities for our residents while meeting and exceeding their needs daily, in a safe, secure and peaceful environment. Being able to offer these personalized, faith-based services is a privilege to us, and we look forward to working with Abba’s House and other area churches to further enrich the lives of our residents.”
The community will focus on all aspects of residents’ and employees’ wellness. The therapy and wellness programs will be available for everyone to use, and team members are encouraged to participate in activities and eat together with the residents. Four large courtyards will include picnic areas, games and botanical gardens. The community will also feature sensory gardens designed to engage residents living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The visually stimulating gardens will encourage touch and interaction with the soil and plants, with all vegetation safe for ingestion.
“We look forward to becoming a true partner with our friends and neighbors in Hixson as we look to provide informational and educational events open to the public,” said Mr. Crisp. “We plan to develop support groups with the local Alzheimer’s Association and provide compassionate guidance to others. Our staff is highly trained to work with residents of all cognitions to bring purpose to their lives each and every day.”
Pastor Phillips leads guests in a prayer as part of the site dedication. During the ceremony, corporate chaplain John Dee dedicated the grounds and placed a Bible in the foundation of the building with company leaders’ handwritten prayers, a ceremony which is done at each Dominion Senior Living property.