Rosemark Assisted Living

The Mayfair neighborhood’s first senior living center, Rosemark at Mayfair Park, accepted its first residents in mid-March and now has 25 residents. The 33,000-square-foot building has 88 units, including 57 assisted-living apartments and 31 memory support units.

Resident Jo Eaton shares a laugh with Liz Garcia in the Rosemark dining room.

“Our number of residents is increasing by five to eight each month,” said Anne Rosen, one of three owner-partners in the locally owned Rosemark Development Group. “Most of the inquiries are from the surrounding neighborhoods, with about one-third from out of state. People like our location because it’s close to their families living in Lowry, Park Hill and Stapleton.”

Rosemark provides meals, medical care coordination and assistance with personal care, as well as transportation and a range of activities like seminars, dances and outings. “We provide nursing care 16 hours a day compared to many buildings that offer 12 hours,” said Rosen. “Also, we accommodate diabetes care with sliding-scale insulin management, which many buildings will not do.”

A respite care room can be rented while family or other regular caregivers are away.

Rosemark also offers three or four units for short-term respite care when family members and other regular caretakers go on vacation.

Residents in the memory support program receive personalized care, Rosen said. “One size does not fit all. Some people with dementia are high functioning and some need 24-hour care. Some communicate through music, so we provide iPods with their favorites. Others need activity and movement all the time, so we have a secure garden where they can walk without getting lost. Some are social, some are not. We try to avoid medicating people to change their behavior—we don’t recommend it as a first step.”

A resident plays a video game with a staff member.

She said most residents benefit from socializing. “Often they have lost a partner. They may feel isolated because they don’t drive anymore. In the communal setting we provide, people’s spirits rise and they are more happy and content.”

Rosen and her partner Mark Cytrynbaum got into senior care because they both have parents in their 80s. “We built it for our loved ones to enjoy,” she said. “What I’ve learned is that it’s not just creating a nurturing environment for seniors, but also supporting families through the transition. Adult children can feel guilty for not acting as their parents’ caregivers, but they don’t have the resources or health care training to do that. We help them get comfortable with what is in mom or dad’s best interest.”

Costs of the market-rate apartments depend on the level of care required, Rosen said. “It ranges from $5,000 to $10,000 per month, including everything.”

Rosemark at Mayfair Park is at 833 Jersey St. For more information or to take a tour, see RosemarkMayfairPark.com or call 303.770.7673.