New joint senior-living and disability facility now being proposed

LONDON: A new joint seniors living and disability apartment complex is now being proposed.

The project called Hampton Manor Assisted Living Facility is in pre-construction, but the project will be built in the 34714 ZIP code, between Clermont and the Four Corners area.

The project currently is taking applications for contractors.

It’s not clear who is behind the project. The lone entity in the state with a name similar to the project, Hampton Manor of Clermont LLC, is not confirmed as being involved. Representatives from company, tied to Danville, California-based Moenil Senior Living LLC, were not available to confirm their involvement.

Lake County permit data did not list any projects under the Hampton Manor name and county permitting officials were not available for comment.

Assisted-living facilities provide housing for elderly or disabled people who need medical and personal care, such as housekeeping, prepared meals, medication management, help with bathing, dressing and grooming. laundry, transportation and more.

Lake County has roughly 46 assisted-living facilities with a combined total of 2,312 beds, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.

Five of Central Florida’s largest assisted-living facilities are in Lake County.

Lake County’s population skews older, with an average age of 46.9, compared to 35.1 in Orange County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Roughly 92,000 of Lake County’s 279,000 adults — or one out of every three — are senior citizens. That will drive demand for new services for seniors in the region, which will create opportunities for similar projects.

Meanwhile, the average U.S. assisted-living facility occupancy rate was up 0.5 percentage points to 77.9% in first-quarter 2021 when compared to the fourth quarter, according to the Annapolis, Maryland-based National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care. That total is up from a low of 74.2% in the second quarter of 2021 but below the pre-pandemic level of 84.6%.

Improved safety in facilities and the increase in Covid-19 vaccinations have helped increase safety compared to earlier in the pandemic.

“It takes about two years for a senior housing property to be built and opened, so the low number of units under construction means that supply likely will stay low and support higher occupancy,” said Chuck Harry, the National Investment Center’s chief operating officer. “This is a positive trend for the industry as it recovers units vacated during the pandemic.”