Aegis Living Opens Bellevue Overlake Community

First site for wellness program pilot; rooted in scientific health benefits of biophilic design

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Apr 20, 2021, 10:00 ET

BELLEVUE, Wash., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Aegis Living, a national leader in senior assisted living and memory care, opened its latest community, Aegis Living Bellevue Overlake, set in the city of Bellevue where the company is headquartered. This is the first community Aegis Living has designed to be fully centered in the scientific benefits of biophilia and human's innate connection to nature, an important concept that has been shown to elicit a therapeutic response, both physical and emotionally.

Aegis Living Bellevue Overlake is an assisted living and memory care community. Inspired by the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest – from the lush greenery to coastal lines and mountainous terrain – yet in the heart of Bellevue, the community is an oasis in the city. The building is centered on the scientific benefits of biophilia, an approach that connects residents more closely with nature and helps reduce stress, improve cognitive function, and enhance mood.

"We are delighted to open a community that is rooted in nature, bringing the outdoors in and creating an oasis in the city, particularly coming out of a year when the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated just how important home is," said founder, CEO and chairman Dwayne Clark. "We believe our elders fully deserve, and can benefit from, more focused attention to their physical, emotional, and mental wellness—and biophilic design is one key to do this daily."

Aegis Living Bellevue Overlake was created to be an oasis in the city and inspired by the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest—from the lush greenery, to coastal lines, and mountainous terrain. This can be felt as you enter the building's lobby, which houses a glass solarium full of natural wood, six-foot palms, a waterfall, and koi pond. These biophilic design elements extend throughout the community's varied spaces down to details such as flooring, furnishings, and fixtures.

To complement the healing components of biophilic design, the community is also piloting a new wellness program that takes a proactive approach to physical, emotional, and mental wellness, including sleep, nutrition, movement, and nature, cognitive wellness, and mindfulness. Aegis Living's goal is to keep residents thriving, not just living, by using the latest science and medical research to inform all aspects of resident care at the Bellevue Overlake community. The pilot is a critical first step to informing what will one day be a company-wide wellness program.

Bellevue Overlake residents will have access to personalized wellness programming based on their health priorities. For example, if a resident chooses to focus on sleep, the person may use strategies such as education coupled with sleep-focused breath and meditation practices, and/or nutritional support to maximize healthy sleep habits. Aegis Living will take key learnings from this pilot to shape a broader wellness program to serve all 33 communities. A second pilot is being planned for its Kirkland Waterfront community set to open this summer, and the company aims to release more details on the wellness program later this year (2021).

"The COVID-19 pandemic showed us how quickly we could innovate and make a direct and life-changing impact on our residents," said Aegis Living President Kris Engskov. "We saw firsthand the power of science and medical research in saving the lives of older adults and today we want to apply this same approach to explore how we can best nurture lasting health and vitality."

The community is centered on rich programming and a variety of amenities and services to help residents live to their fullest potential.

A garden lounge adjacent to the lobby overlooks the open-air courtyard, a centerpiece of the community. A wellness corridor offers massage, a balance studio, and a saltwater pool that brings refreshing therapeutic benefits under a canopy of greenery.

Other first-floor amenities include a variety of community gathering spaces that create a sense of joy, purpose, and connection, all key to health and vitality. The community features an expansive living room, a juice bar, two lounges (the Glove Box and Bug & Bramble), a movie theater and activity center, along with an upscale dining room with a private dining room option. An onsite salon and barber shop are also available to residents.

The community's second floor, dedicated to memory care, features similar assisted living amenities while creating unique opportunities to engage residents, evoke fond memories, and inspire new experiences. Its outdoor terrace and memory garden are designed to feel like a dock, featuring a crab shack, picnic/lounge area, and a restored 1940's seaplane for residents to enjoy while soaking in fresh air, sunshine and a "view" of the Olympic Mountains. Life's Haven, created to be a peaceful space for residents to experience "glamping," allows an individual to step away for peace and tranquility while a couple may book the space for a private-dining date night. The second-floor solarium is modeled after a walk in a park to give residents the same feeling of being in an active city—from a bustling newsstand to the Garden Center and Plein Air Art studio.

The building is rounded out by the top floor Sky Lounge, called the "Vue," with sweeping views of the city and Mount Rainier, as well as the lower-level Wine Cave. Each provides a unique and elegant space for residents to gather with peers or with visiting friends and family.

Aegis Living Bellevue Overlake – located at 1845 116^th Avenue NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 – houses 122 senior living apartments over the 106,000-square-foot-building. Its opening follows Aegis Living's joint acquisition of 10 communities across California, Washington, and Nevada. Aegis has eight additional communities in development, including communities in Kirkland and the Eastlake neighborhood of Seattle.

About Aegis Living
Aegis Living is a national leader in senior assisted living and memory care. With nearly 25 years of experience, Aegis Living is known for its approach for supporting residents along the continuum of care, from light assistance to advanced dementia; innovative programming and a focus on upscale, purpose-built design; and an employee-centric company culture. With every community, Aegis Living creates a living environment where residents can feel at home and inspired to live life to the fullest. The privately held company is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and operates 32 communities in Washington, California and Nevada, with 9 additional communities in development. For more information, visit www.aegisliving.com. Follow the company on Twitter @Aegisliving and Facebook at www.facebook.com/AegisLiving.

SOURCE Aegis Living