NOVEMBER 2021
Residents Praise Independence at Ovation Heartwood Preserve
Ovation Heartwood Preserve
We’ve all heard the adage “60 is the new 40, 70 is the new 50.” And it’s true, life after 55 has never felt more invigorating and exciting. Seniors today are leading dance classes, attending community college classes and traveling more than ever before. Whether dining out or attending a local Friday night art walk, older folks are also contributing to their local economies, getting involved with charities and expecting their opinions to carry weight in society like never before. Given the rise of this dynamic class, it makes sense that residential centers would evolve to feel more like an all-inclusive resort than a traditional care facility.
To understand just how far senior living has come, check out Omaha’s Ovation Heartwood Preserve, a stunning new development that will definitely set a new standard. Divided into independent, assisted and memory care living buildings, the campus features a variety of restaurants, rooftop clubs, an indoor pool and other amenities associated with high-end resorts and cruise ships. The engaged living concept emphasizes individualized choices with opportunities to take French classes, gardening, and cooking workshops with area chefs, among many offerings. Each of the three senior living choices caters to its residents with customized programs designed to reflect the needs and interests of each specific resident.
Properties like Ovation Heartwood Preserve will raise the bar for exceptional senior living in the future as more potential residents demand an independent or assisted living environment that continues the quality of life to which they are accustom. It’s hard to understand exactly how significant the residential design is without visiting. Fireplaces accent several terraces among many other gathering places. There’s a rooftop club replete with wine bar. The “Carson” Theater, named for Nebraska native Johnny Carson, shows first run films, accommodates lecture series and other arts programming.
One enters the property through an ornate Indian door that opens to the magical garden at the heart of the home. You are welcomed by the sounds of a waterfall cascading over lava rock and a network of stone walkways meandering over koi ponds. Tiki torches add an evocative Hawaiian cultural element and set the perfect mood in the evenings.
Unlike many new occupants, who might have gutted the interior for a more contemporary and practical rebuild, Mark and Lu Ann set about making the home first livable and then exceptional. Although half a dozen five-gallon buckets stood in the living room to collect water from the leaky roof, Mark and Lu Ann were determined to preserve the coffered ceiling. They also kept the crystal doorknobs and many other historical details. Of course, modern conveniences, from three-phase wiring to a new pool house, were added as well. Today, this five-bedroom Spanish Colonial Revival, which sits on almost an acre of land, presents an extraordinary opportunity to own a historically significant house on Vacaville’s most picturesque residential street.
“Clem Hartley really created a bold home at the time,” says Mark. “He chose to create this Spanish Revivalist manor when Victorian architecture still ruled the landscape. There were also many innovations for 1922, like the garage that had a below-ground pit for working on an automobile. That garage also featured a butler’s apartment, so the family was clearly well off.”
Over the years, Mark and Lu Ann’s plans for the home have incorporated all the amenities of a prominent Bay Area home, starting with an in-ground pool. They discovered before offering to buy the home that a side lot that was full of debris was also part of the sale, increasing the plot to just shy of an acre. This allowed Mark, who’d earned his contracting license at the start of the project, to add the expansive pool house and build a four-car garage with a studio apartment above. This studio space has undergone several evolutions, from office to teen rec room for their boys. The pool house can also be used for offices or an in-law suite.
“Helen Hartley, the daughter, hosted many Halloween and Fiesta Days parties here after the parade when it travelled down Buck Avenue. We’ve continued her tradition of hosting parties here practically every weekend in the summer when our boys were younger,” says Lu Ann. “We have a good view of the fireworks, so we always threw a July Fourth event; we’d have friends over to light the Christmas tree as well as annual birthday parties. Halloween is a favorite, because the kids are always so curious and honest, asking to come inside and asking us why we get to live here. It’s just an outstanding home for entertaining.”
While their social calendar will be up to the new owners, Mark adds that there is a certain level of responsibility that comes with owning the Hartley House. “People are going to stop by, ask about the home’s history and take an interest in its upkeep. When we were restoring it, several folks came weekly to check on the updates. And the evolution has never quite ended—removing the trampoline to put in the pool, moving the fountain from the back to the front to make room for the garage.”
As one would expect, the new owners will enjoy a formal dining and living room, updated kitchen and all the amenities of a luxury lifestyle. Over time, Mark has added an outdoor pizza oven; renovated a bedroom into a craft space for Lu Ann, who is an avid seamstress; and built out the gardens to further embellish the street appeal. This blend of old and new makes the Hartley House an incredible opportunity for its next caretakers. Through all of the changes, however, the ginkgo tree that Helen Hartley, Clement’s daughter, conveyed from Japan more than 70 years ago remains front and center, a testament to time for the home’s occupants and passersby alike.
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• Oceanfront in the Pauoa Beach Club Community, Inside the Mauna Lani Resort
• 1.29-Acre Lot
• 6,992 Sq. Ft. Interior Living Space; 1,332 Sq. Ft. Lanai
• 5 Bedrooms with ensuite Bathrooms & Outdoor Showers; 4.5 Half-Baths
• Gated Access to the Beach Path
• Exotic Teak Finishes & Custom Mahogany Pocket Doors
• Koi Ponds and Water Gardens
• Infinity-Edge Pool and Jetted Spa with Fire Feature
• Covered Lanai & Built-in Barbecue
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Main House Kitchen
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Main House Living Room
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Main House Sitting Room
Outside Kitchen
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“Many of our staff come from the hospitality industry,” says General Manager Stephanie Grade. “It is our goal to offer a resort hotel experience every day for our residents, whether they are in the independent, assisted or memory care programs.”
Ms. Grade says an independent living resident’s typical day begins over Starbucks coffee at the Bees Knees Bistro, a morning café that transitions to a wine lounge come evening. They may take an oil painting class or attend a workshop then head into Miller’s Restaurant for a salad for lunch with friends on the terrace. Located in the thriving West Omaha neighborhood, residents often take advantage of the city whether shopping, perhaps grabbing a drink at one of the popular dining venues, or many of the other options in this conveniently walkable neighborhood. Many residents also take advantage of the more than 80 acres of walking and biking trails that begin right outside the property.
Come evening residents may choose to dine in their apartments, enjoy a casual dinner at Miller’s or dress up for a fine dining experience inside 1863, named for the historic Omaha groundbreaking of the transcontinental railroad. The Route 6 Pub and billiards room as well as the rooftop 360 Social Club are favorite evening haunts as well.
“Our assisted living residents also enjoy many options throughout their day,” says Ms. Grade. “They typically begin their day with tea and something light in the Two Sisters tea room or a full breakfast at Lorraine’s Kitchen. Our terraces are great social hubs, and our residents here take advantage of Omaha sunshine to spend a few hours visiting outside with friends. Our gardening program is also very popular.”
Research indicates that socializing is a key facet of maintaining one’s positive mindset and mental acuity. Ovation Heartwood Preserve offers a full spectrum of opportunities to interact with other residents in all three of its residences. In assisted living, this means encouraging groups of friends to meet for lunch, showing nightly films followed by conversation in the Carson Theater and multi-denominational chapel services.
“Our assisted living residents seem to really appreciate the opportunity to go to the spa for beauty and massage treatments,” Ms. Grade says, as well as time together on the terrace overlooking the private courtyard. We also have around-the-clock nursing to make sure expert assistance is always available when needed.”
The memory care residence is also customized based on the latest research. The Cottonwood and Meadowlark both offer specialized dining with familiar favorites and daily specials. The Peony Park Bistro also serves the community with lighter meals in a comfortable setting. The resident’s day is filled with engaging activities from gardening to state-of-the-art virtual experiences that are proven to be soothing and help stimulate memory.
“We tailor our memory care experience to each individual resident,” says Ms. Grade, “from dining choices to daily activities, we are able to modify their program depending on what works best for them at their stage of memory care assistance.”
Individual attention is critical throughout a forward-thinking hospitality operation like Ovation Heartwood Preserve. Naturally, providing this level of detailed care takes a certain type of individual. To locate these team members Ms. Grade and her staff follow one of the longest onboarding protocols in the industry. Each potential employee spends two weeks learning about the values, culture and operations of the facility, followed by 30 days of training by shadowing current team members.
Ovation Heartwood Preserve has also instituted technology to address concerns surrounding the current pandemic, solutions that will prove just as helpful during regular operations moving forward. Residents and employees in the assisted living and memory care residences wear fobs that provide complete contract tracing information via a geofencing program. This technology will help keep community members safe and healthy now and during any future outbreaks.
Today’s seniors are determined to remain engaged with all aspects of society from culture to politics to remaining active in the gym and on the trails. The modern senior living accommodation must adapt to the expectations of this generation. Ovation Heartwood Preserve demonstrates the potential of what the future of senior housing should look like, separate residences for individuals at different stages of their lives that offer equal part healthcare and lifestyle amenities. Visit the Ovation Heartwood Preserve website for an extensive look at the future of senior housing.
Many of our staff come from the hospitality industry, It is our goal to offer a resort hotel experience every day for our residents."
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We tailor our memory care experience to each individual resident."
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