A message from the founder of Balfour

Thank you very much for coming to see the Balfour website. We have designed it to be as informative and easy to use as possible and would appreciate having your comments on what you like and don't like about it.

Although I did not realize it at the time, I began planning Balfour when I started to research retirement communities in Colorado for my mother after my father's death in 1984. Mother was then living in New York and was interested in moving closer to family now that she was alone.

Through trial and error and a great many visits to independent living communities, free standing assisted living facilities (ALFs), nursing homes (SNFs) and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) as well as reflecting on 25 years of working in the health care field, I came to realize the importance of a few key principles. These principles are important, I believe, not only for my family but also for all families who are trying to understand the "alphabet soup" of facility types that are sprouting up throughout America to provide a better quality of life for our seniors.

Here's what I have come up with:

1. There are no clear dividing lines between a resident in independent living or one in assisted living, or even, in some instances, one in skilled nursing. Therefore, a state-of-the-art facility for seniors should provide all such services and levels of care so that seniors can age in one building, or at least on the same campus. This continuum of care allows them to keep their friendships intact, maintain their relationships with trusted staff members, and spare them and their families the anxiety and aggravation of hunting for a new facility at a time when the senior may be even more frail and anxious. Because of our design incorporating independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, and dementia care on one campus and our special methods of selecting, training, and motivating staff, "aging in place" at Balfour will be a reality, not an empty phrase.

2. A state-of-the-art building can be a marvel to appreciate and a high quality physical environment is, I believe, essential to providing top quality care, but far and away the most important attribute of a successful retirement community is an energized, well-trained, stable team of caregivers. There can be no substitute for a staff whose goals are to help every resident attain the highest possible level of self-fulfillment and happiness and whose daily practice is to respect the uniqueness of each resident.

3. Third and most importantly, seniors are, have been and remain individuals. They deserve to be treated with deference, dignity, and particularized attention — "one size does not fit all." Their personal preferences and unique personal histories should be known and catered to.

When we put all this together, we at Balfour believe we will have "a new generation of retirement living" — one that will serve seniors and their families well by bringing them peace of mind through offering a life that is as full of individuality and purpose as is possible. As you get to know us better, we hope you will agree that Balfour is, indeed, living up to this promise.

Sincerely,

Michael K. Schonbrun