Cypress Creek Assisted Living to add 39,000 square feet
By LOIS KINDLE
COURTESY PHOTO
Cypress Creek Assisted Living Residence is owned by four siblings, all of whom live in the Tampa Bay area. From left are Mike Biggins, Kristin Biggins, Kimberly Norton and Jim Biggins, shown at the Feb. 24 groundbreaking ceremony for their upcoming expansion project.
A major expansion project is about to make Cypress Creek Assisted Living Residence one of the largest privately owned such facilities in the state. Opened in June 1999, it’s owned by Jim Biggins and his siblings, Michael, Kristin and Kimberly. All live in the Tampa Bay area.
“We’re very unique in the industry,” said Sabina Raymond, Cypress Creek Assisted Living’s community relations director. “Family is on-site daily and involved in our day-to-day operations. That, and the fact that we’re family owned, gives us much more accountability and stability for the families we serve.”
“Our management team is very stable and tenured, unlike others in the area that are owned by corporations or where management frequently changes,” added Kate Johnston, the facility’s administrator and a licensed practical nurse. “And we have high staff-to-resident ratios for more attentive care.”
The 48,000-square-foot residence is known for its six “neighborhoods” of 15 to 18 suites (many with private courtyards) that are home to mostly elderly residents who live independently, with some level of assistance or supervision or in secured memory care. Each intimate neighborhood is based on cognitive function and the level of assistance needed, and all have private living and dining rooms, where the residents visit and enjoy meals with each other.
The $6-million addition, for which Cypress Creek Assisted Living broke ground Feb. 24, will add 50 more private suites. The decision to expand capacity was needed to address area growth and demand in a community needing additional care options.
“We’ve had a waiting list for our private suites for two years, which spurred us to make the investment,” Biggins said. “The project will include administrative offices, a wellness center and a 1,400-square-foot event center.”
“Right now we’re holding events in the lobby and in our neighborhoods,” Raymond said. “The events center will have a kitchen and enable us to host dances, special programs, guest speakers and other forms of entertainment.”
The new residence’s three neighborhoods of courtyard suites are being geared toward independent living, said sister-in-law Elizabeth Biggins, RN, clinical director in charge of medical services, which includes a staff of four full-time nurses. Each will have a kitchenette, separate living room space and bedroom area.
“They’ll be more apartment-like than our current suites,” she said.
Residents at Cypress Creek Assisted Living age in place.
“We can maintain residents here through end of life,” Johnston said. “We provide continuous and increasing levels of care in a loving environment.”
“We cater to them rather than making them conform to us,” Raymond added. “Residents are our number one priority.”
The all-inclusive monthly fee of $2,995 to about $5,000 depends on the type of suite involved and the level of care required. It covers three, chef-prepared meals per day, plus homemade soups and snacks; daily housekeeping; weekly laundering; resident enrichment programs, social activities and outings; medication management and coordination of medical appointments; transportation to local doctors, activities and shopping; basic cable; and more.
There is a one-time entrance fee of $1,000.
The facility’s graduated memory-care neighborhoods are designed to provide highly personalized care for residents with early, mid- and late-stage dementia. Professionally trained staff provide them with daily structure, cognitive stimulation and customized activities, including music, crafts, group exercise and more.
Cypress Creek Assisted Living Residence is at 970 Cypress Village Blvd., Ruskin, immediately west of Sun City Center. For more information, visit www.livewithus.com or call 813-633-7777.
Cypress Creek Assisted Living Residence, 970 Cypress Village Blvd., Ruskin, was built in 1999 by the Biggins family, which has 40 years of experience caring for seniors. The 48,000-square-foot residence is about to become one of the largest privately owned assisted living facilities in the state with an expansion project that will add 39,000 square feet and 50 private suites.
LOIS KINDLE PHOTOS
Signage on Cypress Village Boulevard indicates expansion is underway at Cypress Creek Assisted Living Residence in Ruskin.
The management team of Cypress Creek Assisted Living Residence in Ruskin gather for a group photo around Toby Holland, 87, an old friend of the Biggins family. From left are owner/operator Jim Biggins with Champ, a rescue dog who lives at the facility; administrator Kate Johnston, clinical director Elizabeth Biggins and Sabina Raymond, community relations director.
