The Des Plaines city council approved plans for a five-story, 68-unit assisted living residences building earlier this week. The project was proposed back in 2012, but the owner of the property, Edward Soske, had to get new approvals after financing for the building ran dry and the permits he originally acquired expired, according to the Chicago-area newspaper DailyHerald.com.
The building is projected to be 65,308 square feet and the conditional use permit he just got allows for it to be 55 feet high. The one-story buildings that currently occupy the site will be destroyed in the coming months. Construction is expected to begin next April and be completed with a year.
Assisted living centers are one of the best options for aging senior citizens that are still capable of living on their own just with a little well, assistance. It is a philosophy of care that focuses on promoting dignity and independence, as opposed to dependency and neglect.
These supportive living services may include the administration of medications and personal day-to-day care if required. The specific routine and services provided are personalized for each individual on a case-by-case basis. Some people require more assistance and attention, while others may only need one or two things on any given day.
The approval of buildings like this one in Des Plaines are a welcome sign considering abotu 10,000 Baby Boomers are turning 65 every day, and will continue to do so until the year 2030. In 2011 there were over 41 million senior citizens total, according to a report from the Administration on Aging.
While the addition of this building is a great sign for the industry, it’s important that efforts to improve the quality and conditions of these assisted living centers is not adversely affected. With the ever-rising cost of healthcare, the more options there are available to people the less expensive and crowded these assisted living homes will become.
