Charlottesville, Va. – Commonwealth Senior Living announces a celebration of the company’s 20th anniversary. Founded in 2002 by Richard Brewer and the MCAP Funds, Commonwealth Senior Living began operations with the acquisition of three small communities in southeastern Virginia. Today, Commonwealth Senior Living operates 33 independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia making it one of the largest senior living providers in the Mid-Atlantic.
“This milestone and our success have been made possible thanks to our dedicated associates. Our product is our people and our people are what sets us apart from all others,” Richard Brewer, Founder and Chairman, says. “We work hard and are not afraid to do things differently. We believe in our product and are proud of the important role we play in society to help our seniors age with dignity while providing peace of mind to their families.”
Mr. Brewer founded Commonwealth Senior Living with a vision to improve the lives of seniors and their families. The company brought new resources to its first three senior living communities in Gloucester, Virginia Beach, and Portsmouth, Virginia by developing enhanced resident programming, adding memory care, and increasing capacity. The success of this model, coupled with the hands-on approach from each member of the team, created immediate value for residents and team members alike.
Mr. Brewer continued, “Every member of our senior leadership team, including myself, have spent time working in senior communities. From moving furniture and mowing the grass to cooking meals and caring for residents, that hands-on experience gave us the foundation to understand what our staff face every day and the important role we play in the lives of seniors and their families. In order to differentiate ourselves, we know we have to both hire and train professionals who share our Core Values and make sure they have the resources and tools to do their job.”
Commonwealth Senior Living continued to steadily grow each year over the past twenty years acquiring senior living communities in places where we believed we could add value.
In addition to growing the number of communities it operates, Commonwealth Senior Living has become a leader in the senior living industry through its ground-breaking programs, such as its award-winning Sweet Memories Alzheimer’s/dementia program, its Farm to Table dining program, and interactive communication tool, SMILE ™. Over the past several years, Commonwealth Senior Living has introduced new technologies designed to enhance the lives of residents including MyndVR, our virtual reality program, Eversound is a wireless headphone system with noise-cancelling technology which helps our residents focus on speakers, and our Babylon Microfarm program which won the 2020 Argentum Best Practice Award, among others. Commonwealth Senior Living continues to pioneer new services to meet its goal of enhancing resident and family experiences.
Commonwealth Senior Living is also recognized as certified Best Place to Work three years in a row. Offering numerous training programs including the Center for Excellence and Hiring for Heart, the company is committed to investing in its associates. One of its most unique programs is Commonwealth Cares. This non-profit organizations assists employees of Commonwealth Senior Living suffering from severe financial hardship resulting from a catastrophic event in their lives. To date, Commonwealth Cares has provided almost $600,000 to over 450 CSL associates.
Earl Parker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth Senior Living, added: “Commonwealth Senior Living continues to be nationally recognized for our forward-looking approach to care. From award-winning programs like our micro-farm dining to our advocacy at the state, local, and Federal levels for senior citizens, and those that work in the senior living industry, our team will continue to innovate and lead the way.”
Today, Commonwealth Senior Living employs more than 1,700 associates and has a capacity for over 2,500 residents. The company is an active member of the Virginia Assisted Living Association (VALA), Argentum, American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) and the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing (NIC).
Commonwealth Senior Living looks forward to serving residents, their families, and all associates for the next twenty years.
About Commonwealth Senior Living
Commonwealth Senior Living provides independent living, assisted living, personal care, and memory care to seniors across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia. Commonwealth Senior Living has become a leader in the senior living industry through our innovative signature programs, such as our award-winning Sweet Memories Alzheimer’s and dementia program, our Farm to Table dining, and our interactive communication tool, SMILE ™, among others. As a Certified Great Place to Work® company for three years in a row, Commonwealth Senior Living continues to pioneer new services to meet our goal of improving the lives of seniors, their families, and each other. For more information on Commonwealth Senior Living visit CommonwealthSL.com.