The Kendal at Longwood community breaks ground on large expansion
The Kendal at Longwood community is a not-for-profit Life Plan Community in Kennett Square.
A ceremonial groundbreaking and reception recently took place, and the event brought together residents, staff, community members, and regional leaders, including State Sen. John I. Kane, who gave remarks at the reception.
Staff, residents, and board members have collaboratively planned the project with its most crucial integration into their campus. Extensive research into healthcare trends and their values helped guide the plans as their vision took shape. This cornerstone value means they always seek a better way to meet the community’s needs and future expectations. Kendal-Crosslands Communities has been re-imagining retirement living and services from its inception over 50 years ago.
For the health center, the community worked to create a warm, inviting environment that prioritizes comfort, safety, and personalized care. The design will continue to integrate the community, provide comforting and engaging spaces, and ignite the passion of residents and staff purposely driven toward achieving a healthy environment. In this place, community, nature, and care meet. The center will consist of an enhanced Resident Care (Medical Clinic), Rehabilitation spaces, and Personal Care and Skilled Nursing residencies. The goal has been to provide a design that helps with programming to maximize every resident’s quality of life and overall well-being.
“Person-centered quality services and programs positively impact the residents. Our thought leadership is the conduit to a supportive, caring community, and our health center at our Kendal at Longwood campus will embody our Quaker values,” said Lisa Marsilio, chief executive officer. “Today, we are thrilled the newly reimagined center will be a transformative initiative that will address the needs of current and future residents and affect the field of aging, helping people to live their best lives.”
Also included in the design are 18 independent living ground floor apartments that will help the community meet the current demand for new residences. The apartments will provide a newer living option on their Kendal at Longwood campus, with residences connected to the main center, a feature that appeals to many future residents.
As one of their core values, environmental sustainability is an integral part of this new project. They are including solar infrastructure to help reduce energy use, incorporating energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems, and use of healthy materials to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible. In addition, water conservation and rain-water management were priorities in the design.
“I am tremendously proud of this initiative at the Kendal at Longwood campus. The fusion of natural surroundings, cutting-edge technology, and modern sustainability measures illustrates the creative and empathetic solutions that our world desperately needs today,” said Sen. Kane. “This reimagined health center will not only provide exceptional care, but also significantly enhance the quality of life within our community. It is heartening to see Kendal at Longwood’s unwavering commitment to providing exceptional care for our senior community.”
Kendal~Crosslands Communities has more than 900 residents and 600 employees nestled on 500 acres in the Brandywine Valley.
