After five years of remarkable service, The Renaissance of Richfield/Bath remains dedicated to community

By Adam Cook

Where we choose to call home matters, and the developers of The Renaissance of Richfield/Bath chose to build where it matters most.

Lifelong residents of Richfield—John Troike of Troike Building Corp., in partnership with Mark Hemminger of Hemminger Construction Co.—built the 50,000-square-foot The Renaissance of Richfield/Bath assisted living facility with a dedicated memory care unit five years ago. Also in partnership with Mark and John is Darrel Seibert of Seibert Enterprises, Inc.

Neither Mark, John, Darrel, nor their other partners, operators Jeff and Jill Risner, would have ever asked you or your loved ones to call The Renaissance home unless they could call it home for their loved ones, too.

“When we hear from folks we grew up with whose parents will be part of The Renaissance, it’s rewarding because we know they’ll be in good hands,” says Mark.

In 2014, when Mark laid the foundation for The Renaissance, now marking its fifth anniversary, he had no idea how much the commitment to providing state-of-the-art, person-centered care in his community would come to mean for him and his loved ones.

“My mother-in-law, Ruth, was a member of The Renaissance the last three years of her life,” says Mark. “She passed this past February at 78.”

Ruth struggled with COPD and was steadfast in her decision to live on her own after her husband of 48 years passed away, even after her breathing worsened and her anxiety deepened.

“She would have panic attacks,” says Mark. “At night, or on the days her home health aide wasn’t there, all she could think was ‘God forbid if something were to happen.’”

Ruth steadily fell into a familiar pattern. She would be rushed to the hospital every few months and then spend the next week or two in a rehabilitation facility.

“It took a toll on her, and it took a toll on the rest of the family,” says Mark. “My wife, Kim, and I begged her to live with us, but she didn’t want to impede. Finally, she grudgingly agreed to stay a week or two at The Renaissance, under the condition that a temporary stay didn’t turn into a permanent stay.”

One week turned into two, and then three turned into four.

“After a month, she called Kim and said, ‘I’ve decided that I’m going to sell the house after all, and live here,’” says Mark. “From that point on, I really don’t think she went to the hospital one time. She was more at ease knowing she had care—that there was someone there—24 hours a day.”

The Brooklyn-bred mother of five knew it was the right move.

“She loved it, and Kim would take her out a couple of times a week and they’d go shopping or out to eat,” says Mark. “A few of the caregivers asked to be there when her time came. On February 19, her breathing worsened. The family gathered at The Renaissance and called the caregivers that she had a special relationship with. They were with her when she passed.”

Ruth had an extraordinary life, but her experience of round-the-clock, supportive, individualized care at The Renaissance was not unique.

“Our members have access to a higher quality of life that’s often many times greater than they’ve experienced before,” says Jeff. He went to explain that seniors often feel free of many of the limitations they felt living alone.

Someone is there to bring the inside community out and the outside community in.

The menu is farm-to-table.

“We know where our food comes from,” says Jill. “The local relationships we have with farmers and suppliers sustains us.”

It’s about supporting your neighbors, and it’s about freshness, seasonality, safety, and, above all, taste.

Local podiatrists, dentists, optometrists, audiologists, and other health professionals make the rounds at The Renaissance.

With a ratio of one member to eight caregivers, The Renaissance is intimate by design. Members feel at home in a dynamic environment that boasts a unique architectural streetscape.

“Walking down Main Street, past the coffee shop, salon, library, movie theater, sanctuary, and all the rest, gives a feeling of comfort,” says Mark. “John did an amazing job with the attention to detail. Troike does a lot of high-end residential. That’s his forte, and it shows.”

The Renaissance has another unique feature, an adjacent, dedicated memory care unit. Too often, seniors in other assisted living facilities need to move again as needs progress.

Independently owned and operated, The Renaissance is an established community within a community. Its members are empowered individuals, not defined by the presence of memory loss, dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease, and are community partners.

“From day one, ‘communities caring for communities’ has been our core philosophy,” says Jeff. “Whenever possible, our relationships are local, and our members are family.”

The Renaissance of Richfield/Bath is located at 3975 Everett Road in Richfield. Call 330-313-7000 or visit RenaissanceAssistedLiving.net to find out how you or your loved one can be invited to join this community.