Brentwood Senior Living Community

Giddy Up & Go!

The late theologian and best-selling author Ted Engstrom once said, “Excellence is a process that should occupy all our days.” Within the horse country encompassed in Ocala, Florida, excellence is not just a process, but an actual expression of a property known as Brentwood at Fore Ranch. A relatively new Senior Living Community, Brentwood residents occupy their days by encountering quality in living accommodations, activities and healthcare services branded as “the new standard in excellence.”

Regardless of the acclaim acquainted with breeds drawn to certain bluegrass destinations, the bahia and bermuda grass-filled fields of Marion County, Florida, are made home by more than 200 farms and facilities employing some 29,000 people devoted to the breeding, training and exhibition of horses. With its composite of Missouri Foxtrotters and Arabians to the Paso Finos, Gypsy Vanners and more, Marion County has been recognized as the “Horse Capital of the World” and equine aficionados from around the world go there to connect with champion thoroughbreds. Within the midst of these picturesque pastures which prompt more than $1 billion in annual economic impact for the state, a new champion has emerged which in its own way, stands out as something of a show horse,  particularly for seniors longing to be saddled in quality when it come to lifestyle and healthcare service options.

Brentwood at Fore Ranch is a senior living community complemented with assisted living services, as well as specialty care services involved with the treating of diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease, yet also provides neural rehabilitation services for those recovering from brain injury. Brentwood was developed through collaboration between Selah Management Services and William Karns Enterprises. Selah is a Florida-based, senior-living industry leader specializing in operations management, development, marketing and strategic planning services. William Karns is one of Florida’s leading general contracting and land developing firms whose expertise has been exacted over more than fifty years of creating luxurious estates, beach front condominiums, yacht clubs as well as a variety of other commercial and industrial sites.

Karns development of the five-acre site now graced by Brentwood at Fore Ranch marked the company’s first foray into developing a senior living community specializing in assisted living and health services. Since the opening of this Brentwood in Ocala, Karns has been busily developing equally distinctive sites that will open in the future, such as the Brentwood at Wellington or the planned Brentwood of St. Augustine. Fore Ranch Executive Director Eric Townsend says the Ocala location benefits from all of Karn’s skills as a site-developer and master builder as well as the operational and managerial efficiencies of Selah. He says combining such expertise to create a singular environment connotes to a new standard of excellence in lifestyle and healthcare.

Style and Service

Expansive space is an asset that helps distinguish Fore Ranch from other communities. Townsend indicates the primary 120-bed structure has an equal amount of square footage in living accommodations comparable with that deployed for common space. Private accommodations come in a range of floor plans appropriately themed in conjunction with the greater community conscience. There’s the 406 square-foot studio plan called “The Palomino,” a one-bedroom 475 square-foot option in “The Mustang,” or the two-bedroom, 735 square-foot alternative in “The Clydesdale.”

Interior elements include granite countertops, spacious closets, wall to wall carpeting and tile-floored bathrooms with Zero Entry Level shower. Apartments include kitchenettes with built-in refrigerators, sink and cabinet space. On the tech side, each comes equipped with an emergency call system as well as smoke detectors, fire alarm and sprinkler system. Basic cable and utilities are also provided.

Fore Ranch is further complemented by other alluring spaces such as the spa, billiards room, library and a convenient country store stocked with greeting cards, drinks and other goods. The property grounds are enhanced by a rustic walking trail, but as Townsend notes, Ocala itself offers destinations worth exploring. While the community has a country town feel and is far less dense with populace compared to neighboring communities of Tampa, Ocala has corralled much more than horses in terms of offering venues for shopping, dining, the arts and culture such as all that on display at the nationally esteemed Appleton Museum of Art and Cultural Center. Though Fore Ranch residents can participate in special tours at Appleton, there are a number of other activities which are part of life at Fore Ranch, from guest speaker forums, parties and holiday celebrations, and to be sure, the Kentucky Derby is celebrated with all the pomp and circumstance associated with any other leading seasonal festivity. As Townsend says, “We want our residents to have fun. We routinely arrange any number of activities, but the residents themselves direct us on things they want to do, and we’re here to help facilitate what they want.” And while many of those activities are geared for fun, others are meant to be educational and informative. The community sponsors workshops offering insight on diabetes as well as memory care which not only benefits residents, but also their families who are invited to participate.

Townsend also notes that the pricing structure at Fore Ranch is all inclusive, something which additionally separates the community from others. “Regardless of the help a resident needs, or doesn’t need, one price covers everything. There’s no ala-carte menu of services or confusion about how much this service costs versus the cost of that service,” says Townsend. “Residents conveniently know what it costs, and one price covers all levels of need.”

Excellence in Care

Fore Ranch provides a range of therapy services, well beyond the traditional offerings in physical therapy. Some programs have been specially designed to incorporate art, music, horticulture or even pets. The diversity in approach enables means to connect with almost any interest a resident may have. Fore Ranch has also developed specialty care units uniquely catered for helping those afflicted with Alzheimer’s. These residents benefit from services provided by personnel with customized training as well as their own Activity/Recreation Director who facilitates programs and activities succinctly designed to serve their needs and limitations. Those with diabetes likewise benefit from specialized care and diet plans uniquely customized for each resident’s requirements.

Adult Day Care is another service Fore Ranch provides to the greater community. In addition to offering a means of introducing the community’s assisted living environment to potential residents, the Adult Day Care service has proven critical to helping working families tend to the care needs of elderly or fragile loved ones. For families providing care for such individuals, Fore Ranch provides a safe and healthy place to bring a loved one for temporary relaxation while the caretakers tends to job duties or other obligations.

Fore Ranch will soon launch a new service that is posed to fulfill another important need in the community, in this case, through the opening of a specialized neural rehabilitative unit. That unit will serve anyone struggling to recover from a brain injury, whether it is a military veteran, first responder injured in the line of duty, victim of a car accident or any other. At present, there is a lack of such rehabilitative services in the region, and those with such recovery needs would traditionally have to venture to centers in Tampa or Gainesville for help. As Townsend explains, “Our vision is to be a medical model. We don’t see ourselves as just helping seniors of our community, but doing all that we can to help our entire community.”

That kind of thinking has helped Brentwood at Fore Ranch foster relationships which equate to additional benefits for residents. In addition to healthcare services that can be accessed from West Marion Hospital, Brentwood at Fore Ranch has relationships with enterprises such as Ocala Geriatric, and United Therapy Group, as well as skilled nursing facilities which include that of Timber Ridge, Avante and Palm Garden.

Beyond the degree of thought that has been placed in developing the grounds and facilities of Fore Ranch, Townsend says equal attention to detail has driven development of services and care plans in order to deliver quality deserved, and demanded, by residents. For its range of professional care services, luxurious accommodations and mix of meaningful things to do, this standout sanctuary of horse country is galloping with potential for further growth.

For more information, please visit their website at:  Brentwood Senior Living Community