Opening its doors in northern Nevada, Cascades of the Sierra is ready to welcome residents at its Spanish Springs retirement community facility.

The facility, which boasts about 214,000 square feet spread over 7-1/2 acres located off Eagle Canyon Drive on Neighborhood Way, began having residents move in July 1. The retirement community will have its grand opening on Sept. 10.

Co-founder Dale Zulauf said the Cascades Living Group chose to build the retirement community in Spanish Springs because, after researching the area, Zulauf and his three business partners, Bill Shorten, Tom Stanley and Clark Claypool, saw a need for a state-of-the-art facility.

“We had looked for a couple years around the western United States,” Zulauf said. “This area hasn’t had a new senior facility for 10 years.”

Zulauf, who has more than 25 years of experience in the senior care industry, said the company’s research suggested that there is an interest for a more resort-style type facility in the area. He said that when they were coming up with ideas and a design, Zulauf and his partners created a wish list of amenities they would like in a place where they would live.

“We tried to build something that hasn’t been built before,” Zulauf said of the facility, which includes 240 rooms, a cinema, a lounge with a full-service bar, five restaurants and an enclosed pool that is used for water fitness programs as well as recreation.

The 240 rooms accommodate different levels of senior care: 190 rooms are dedicated to independent living; 96 rooms are set aside for seniors who need assisted care; and 24 rooms are for residents with memory care issues, such as Alzheimer’s or dementia.

“As (a person) ages and their needs change, they don’t need to relocate,” Zulauf said of the multiple levels of senior care offered at the Cascades of the Sierra.

In addition to a long list of activities that seniors can enjoy on a daily basis, the Cascades Living Group hired a full-time fitness director to help promote an active and healthy lifestyle.

“Fitness is a major thing that I drove into the design of this community,” Zulauf said. “We hand-picked a full-time fitness director, researched the best cardiovascular equipment and researched the pool.”

Zulauf said that although the pool is outdoors, it is heated for year-round use. The pool is also saline-treated because, Zulauf said, research indicated that chemicals such as chlorine could be too harsh on aging skin.

The fitness program at the Cascades of the Sierra is diverse and allows for people of any fitness level to find something they enjoy. Activities include everything from an AquaFit program to Nintendo Wii bowling. Residents can also participate in yoga, Pilates, volleyball and bocce ball.

“Our fitness, as it related to life-enrichment programming, is more advanced,” said Cascades executive director David Schneck.

Although Cascades of the Sierra is designed as a resort-style living facility, and the décor and accommodations would make any resident believe they were on a vacation, Schneck said moving into a senior living facility can actually help someone who is having a difficult time with the economy.

“We’ve seen a pick-up in business,” Schneck said. “There are two reasons our business is shielded from the economy: Assisted living or memory care is more need-driven. The independent living end of the building is not as need-driven so we try to drive more on their future.”

Chris Mirando, director of sales and marketing for the Sparks facility, agreed with Schneck and added that moving into the Cascades of the Sierra can remove the guessing game involved with paying each month’s bills.

“You know exactly what your bills are every month,” Mirando said, noting that electricity, water and even cable TV are included in the monthly rent. “You can be more economically sound in independent living.”

Also included in the monthly rent is the dining service, which includes access to the facility’s multiple dining rooms and the Fireside Lounge. The lounge is licensed to serve alcohol and even hosts a billiard table.

Kim Wagner, director of sales and marketing for the Cascades Group, said the facility includes such amenities because senior living is evolving and also because people living in the facility will want family members to visit them. She added that having things like a swimming pool for grandkids to play in, a pool table and dining rooms for residents to host dinner parties makes the Cascades of the Sierra a unique place to live.

In addition to family-friendly activities, visiting family members can choose to stay overnight at the facility in one of the many guest suites.

With a long list of activities and unique services, including an on-site salon and massage facility, Mirando said that the senior living community accommodates each resident’s needs.

“For some reason, we all know we will age, but we never think that we’ll need assistance,” Mirando said.

Residents are allowed to have pets, Mirando said. If caring for a pet becomes difficult, a resident can ask someone at Cascades of the Sierra to help care for it. He added that there is a bus that can take residents to and from appointments or other places they need to go if a resident chooses not to keep their car or cannot drive.

In addition to the day-to-day needs, Cascades of the Sierra has a full-time nurse on staff who can conduct wellness checks and administer medications.

“That is something we made a commitment to: To make sure all our residents are well cared for,” Wagner said.

Cascades of the Sierra, according to Schneck, currently employs 35 people but Schneck said that in the next few years that number will likely expand to about 135.

“We’re looking (for) glitter and glow,” Schneck said about what they look for when hiring a new employee. “Basically, it is what kind of person they are, not including their background.”

Schneck said a person’s background in the health care industry doesn’t necessarily matter because the company is willing to train people who have a passion for working with seniors.

“We have an advantage of opening in a down economy because we get the best choice of employees, including nurses,” Mirando said, adding that the quality staff is what helps set Cascades apart from other senior care facilities.

“It is the difference between living and living well,” Zulauf said. “We are very sincere about making that difference.”

Apartments at Cascades of the Sierra range in price depending on the level of care. Introductory prices begin at about $2,400 per month and can range to $4,500 per month. For more information about the facility, visit www.cascadesofthesierra.

com or call 424-5400.