The Branches at Marlborough Features 57 Units Housing 104 Residents
This article, written by Jeff Malachowski, was published on May 23, 2019, by Metrowest Daily News.
A new 104-bed assisted living and memory care facility is set to open on Bolton Street this fall.
Construction on the new development – The Branches at Marlborough – began in November. Crews have completed the exterior work and are performing interior work in preparation for the Nov. 15 opening, said Kelly Arnao, senior executive director for The Branches.
A similar concept is being built in Framingham and is expected to open in January 2020.
The facility is being built on a vacant 15.5-acre parcel next to the high school and will feature 57 units, including 10 private studios and 12 one-bedroom apartments. The Benchmark Senior Living facility will include a 14-unit memory care wing that will house 20 patients with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Most of the units feature two bedrooms and a small common area with a refrigerator and sink. The two bedroom units have private bathrooms. Arnao said many couples choose to live in a two-bedroom unit and convert the second bedroom into a living space. Other couples have different needs and maintain the apartment as a two-bedroom unit. The two-bedroom units can be shared by non-couples.
Arnao described The Branches as an open concept where residents are encouraged to get out of their rooms and socialize. The one-and-a-half story complex features three dining areas, a spa, barbershop, fire pit, outdoor patio, library and bar that hosts happy hour each night. Residents are provided three meals a day and snacks..
“We really think it’s the community of the future,” said Arnao.
Nurses are on-site throughout the day. Benchmark contracts with a private ambulance service for non-emergencies – such as a fall or illness – to ease the effect on municipal services.
Benchmark operates a Branches community in North Attleborough. Residents gather to play cards, watch TV and celebrate birthdays. Arnao and her staff focus on embracing the next chapter of seniors’ lives and want to engage and empower them.
“That’s what we want to see happen,” she said. “This really is an open concept.”
In designing The Branches at Marlborough, company officials surveyed residents at the North Attleborough facility to ask what they would improve.
“We’re listening to what our residents are saying,” said Arnao.
Thus far, seven people have placed deposits to live at The Branches, said Rob Guinard, director of community relations.
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg for us,” he said.
The company will hold additional open houses in the coming weeks.
While discussing the project last year, city officials said there is a need for additional senior housing in the city.
Benchmark operates senior housing facilities in 54 communities across New England.
For more information visit https://www.benchmarkseniorliving.com/senior-living/ma/marlboro/the-branches-of-marlboro.
The Branches of Marlboro
