Skip to main content

Bethel Home and Services

Making Life Memorable

Bethel Home & Services had served this small farming community for more than 60 years. Primary services consisted of long-term care as well as assisted and independent living. Those living with memory loss were cared for within the long-term care facility. But as demand rose,so too did the need for a dedicated memory care facility. Through a master planning process started several years prior, CLS encouraged Bethel to purchase surrounding residential homes as they came available. That paved the way to build a new memory care facility on a six-acre adjoining parcel. With Bethel’s desire not to create competition with itself, the senior living construction project was completed in two phases. The second began when the first had filled. Both phases mirror each other, although the second phase features larger resident rooms. The households are joined by a common, secure outdoor courtyard, a welcome amenity for residents and their families.

Project Challenges

  • Create a design that allowed for phased construction as space filled.
  • Position the building to accommodate the soft, wind-deposited soil to mitigate issues from settling.
  • Design the facility to aesthetically complement the adjacent residential neighborhood and rural setting.

Project Process

CLS worked closely with staff, management and board of directors. They also conducted focus groups with the local neighborhood and larger community so they could provide input and voice concerns.

Project Highlights

  • The design allowed for future expansion as market conditions dictated.
  • The fiscally responsible approach of phased construction translated into less financial risk.
  • Larger units in the second household give residents greater choice.
  • A secure courtyard connects the households while providing access to the outdoors.
  • A rustic exterior appeals to the community and complements surrounding areas.

Why this project was successful

Bethel met capacity projections and continues to run a successful memory care program. The new facility and phase approach also provided an opportunity to repurpose an area of the existing long-term care facility that had been used for memory care programs.