Community at a Glance

Type

Life Plan Community

Unit Mix

Independent living: 264
Assisted living: 6
Health center: 29
Memory care: 12

Challenges

• Global pandemic restricted recruitment and hiring.
• Community needed to find additional health care workers.
• Hospitality forced to change due to social distancing.
• Property needed investment to add latest conveniences.
• Occupancy rate fell to 84% in 2020.
  

Positive Outcomes

• Partnership with Life Care Services enabled the community to pivot to weather the global pandemic.
• Became a model for hospitality practices.
• New health care workers hired through recruitment program.
• New capital investments elevated the resident experience.
• Overall resident satisfaction improved.
• Occupancy rate reached 96% in 2024.
  

Business Profile

StoneRidge is a 32-acre not-for-profit, life plan community located on the edge of the seaport village of Mystic, Connecticut. Just over 300 residents live in StoneRidge, supported by more than 220 team members. For more than two decades, StoneRidge has been managed by Life Care Services, An LCS Company. The community offers a full range of care that includes independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation. 

Residents at StoneRidge are especially engaged in their community and are actively involved in committees that help shape their own experiences. Popular programs offer a chance to get into the creative arts studio, join the choir and take on their neighbors in a friendly game of pickleball or bocce ball. A nearly one-mile path around the property provides exercise close to home and a convenient link to other nature trails for a longer journey.

Business Situation

In 2024, the occupancy rate reached 96% — the highest in the community’s history. Resident satisfaction was close to 90%. StoneRidge is now in the strongest position of its 20-year history because of the proactive leadership of Life Care Services. Remarkably, the high-water mark was only a few years removed from the most difficult test leadership faced, when it guided StoneRidge through the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. Falling occupancy rates and staffing shortages were a challenge everywhere. Indeed, hospitality itself had to be reimagined with social distancing. But through assistance with staffing, creative COVID-19 solutions and the support of the LCS Foundation, Life Care Services and StoneRidge navigated the pandemic, and much more, to ensure the community’s success.

Delivering Exceptional Experiences

Throughout the pandemic, Life Care Services remained focused on elevating experiences with exceptional care, hospitality and creativity. This unwavering leadership enabled Life Care Services to build trust with existing and prospective residents during uncertain and often lonely times. For example, staff went door-to-door to leave menus so residents could continue choosing their meals, which were delivered the following day. Once a week, staff dressed up in costumes to serenade the residents at a safe distance. Virtual happy hours kept neighbors connected. Such exceptional service was instrumental in achieving high resident satisfaction, and the hospitality efforts were later emulated by other communities.

To address staffing challenges, Life Care Services utilized a recruitment program that attracted health care workers from around the world. The program added an additional touch of hospitality by providing 90 days of housing for new employees, allowing them to settle into their new role. Additionally, StoneRidge proactively turned to the LCS Foundation to support the hiring of future staff. The sponsorship for a CNA program was a strategic investment to identify new health care workers for the community. Critical decisions from Life Care Services set up StoneRidge for success in the highly competitive search for health care workers during the pandemic. 

Capital investments were — and remain — another way Life Care Services demonstrates its commitment to investing in current and future residents. StoneRidge is remodeling apartments with refreshed countertops, cabinets and bathrooms. New HVAC systems and elevators are enhancing shared spaces. On the exterior, updated building façades give the community a modern, uniform appearance. As a personal touch, a recent project in the auditorium included the installation of a hearing loop system to improve clarity and enjoyment. 

The concerted effort to provide exceptional experiences, recruit high-quality staff and invest in the property have led to tangible results. From 2021 to 2024, residents who reported feeling “at home” at StoneRidge increased 5%. The same resident satisfaction study found 87% of residents are very satisfied with StoneRidge as a place to live, an increase from three years earlier. The leadership of Life Care Services has made a true difference in the lives of StoneRidge residents.

Principled Leadership

Two guiding principles for Life Care Services have been diligence and perseverance. The COVID-19 pandemic put those core convictions to the test unlike anything else in the 20-year history of StoneRidge. The devoted and creative leadership from Life Care Services found new ways to meet and exceed the expectations of StoneRidge residents — and they noticed. Resident satisfaction and occupancy rates are at all-time highs, making StoneRidge truly feel like home to more than 300 people. The community is now in the strongest position it's ever been because of the leadership of Life Care Services.