Dozens of Ballantyne families are scrambling to find new care for loved ones with dementia after Legacy Heights Senior Living Community announced it will shut its doors Friday, Oct. 2.
The 122-bed assisted living and memory care facility at 11230 Ballantyne Trace Ct. notified families Tuesday, Aug. 4, that the property's owner decided to repurpose the building and campus, according to WCNC Charlotte. That leaves roughly five weeks from now for residents to find new homes. Legacy Heights has operated in Ballantyne since 1999, according to North Carolina state records.
Phoenix Senior Living, the Roswell, Georgia-based company that manages the community, said in a statement that the decision came from the property owner. Phoenix said its teams have been meeting individually with residents and families to discuss needs, review transition options and provide referrals.
The company also arranged for Charlotte-based Blue Dot Cares to help families find alternative senior living placements at no cost.
The timeline is tight.
For Leslie Dunham, whose 93-year-old mother lived at Legacy Heights, there was little room to be selective.
"I found myself scrambling to compete with the other families to find the two facilities that were reasonable," Dunham told WCNC Charlotte.
Dunham said watching residents leave the community and become separated from longtime friends has been difficult. Many of the affected residents live with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, and families say the upheaval is especially hard on people who depend on familiar routines, caregivers and surroundings.
The property owner has not been publicly identified, and no details about what the building will become have been released. Phoenix Senior Living said it will continue providing care through the Friday, Oct. 2, closing date.
Families with loved ones at Legacy Heights who need placement assistance can contact Blue Dot Cares, which offers a free senior living placement service in the Charlotte area.
Upcoming community events:
- Thursday runs at OMB: The Ballantyne Running Club hosts free weekly runs from Olde Mecklenburg Brewery on Thursday evenings.
- CMS back-to-school: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students returned this week; expect heavier traffic near Ballantyne-area campuses through early September.
