A memory care assisted living facility in Alexandria just got approval to increase the number of beds by doubling up the occupancy with “companion rooms.”
City Council, on Saturday, approved Silverado Memory Care‘s request to increase beds at their facility at 2807 King Street from 66 to 9o. The vote was 5-2, with City Council Member John Taylor Chapman and Vice Mayor Amy Jackson voting in opposition.
A number of family members of Silverado residents testified against the proposal of adding beds to single-occupancy rooms. Family members have been vocal in their opposition to the plan.
“Our concerns are retaining quality over quantity,” said one family member. “While cost efficiency must be important to the corporation, the primary focus should be on providing quality care that meets the specific needs of residents with dementia.”
Mayor Justin Wilson said that City Council had to make a land use decision, and that quality of life issues within the facility were not under consideration.
“My heart breaks for all of you and and you are going through an incredibly difficult situation,” Wilson said. “I think the struggle for us is that this is a land use decision for us. I think our factors that we can consider are very much related to the use and the proposed change of use, as well as the impact that use has on the broader community.”
The number of parking spaces at the facility — 33 spaces for 66 rooms — will not change.
Vice Mayor Amy Jackson said that could be an issue, with multiple families “vying” for a single parking space to visit relatives.
Chapman said that his “no” vote was about patient safety.
“I worry about having two people in a room who aren’t going to… heed functions around personal safety,” Chapman said. “I think that is a challenge.”
Loren Shook, co-founder of Silverado Memory Care, told Council that residents will still be able to live alone if they choose. He also said that it costs an average of $27,000 a year less to live in a companion room than a single room. Costs at the facility range between $11,000 per month for a companion room or $13,000 for a private room.
“I want to assure everyone here, no one’s going to be required to move into a companion room,” Shook said. “Everyone who wants a private room at Silverado Alexandria will have one, and the conversion to 24 additional residents that would be able to occupy a companion room will take more than a year to transpire.”
