Not-for-profit Pines of Sarasota has been in business for 65 years. Its campus is situated on 17 acres—soon to be 25 acres, once a recent acquisition is finalized, says John Overton.
Pines—not far away from Sarasota Bay, which is on the Gulf Coast in southern Florida—consists of a number of smallish buildings, some quite old and others relatively new.
They include Pine Harbor, an assisted living center with 57 residents; Keys, a 24-bed skilled nursing center; Garden Memory Care Unit, a 42-bed skilled nursing facility for residents with dementia; Veranda, a therapy and rehabilitation center with 38 short-term and long-term beds; and Veranda East, a skilled nursing residence with 22 beds.
Other buildings include a child day care center and preschool, one of two thrift stores, a hair salon, the main kitchen, an employee lounge, and maintenance and laundry facilities, along with several administrative buildings.
Elsewhere are the second “Fabulous Finds” thrift store and Pines’ Education Institute, which was created five years ago to “help educate caregivers who are struggling at home,” says JoAnn Westbrook, the institute’s director. They accomplish that with seminars, workshops, webinars, and DVDs.
The institute works with an internationally known Alzheimer’s trainer, Teepa Snow, and soon will work with neuropsychologist Paul Nussbaum, who is also an adjunct professor in neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine.
And, as do many not-for-profits, Pines of Sarasota is affiliated with a foundation, whose mission is to raise funds to ensure that all residents, regardless of economic status, are able to continue to receive care at the campus.
Sarasota A Major Destination For Retirees
Sarasota has become one of the top destinations for retirees. As a result, the city’s population—about 52,000 and growing in a county of 382,000—has an average age approaching twice that of the nation as a whole. While the national percentage of people over age 65 is 17 percent and Florida’s is 19 percent, Sarasota’s is a surprising 31.6 percent. Competition among nursing homes and assisted living facilities is fierce.