This year, Charter Senior Living celebrates its sixth anniversary, and the future looks brighter than ever.
Keven and Kim Bennema, married co-founders of Charter Senior Living, began working in the senior living space almost 30 years ago. Neither could have predicted those early days would evolve into a family business that enhances the lives of more than 2,200 seniors across 13 states.
Despite the challenges so many businesses have faced in recent years, Charter Senior Living has thrived, nearly doubling in size to operate, manage and develop an impressive 47 senior living communities.
“Our growth has been an enormous accomplishment for us,” says Keven Bennema. “We credit this to our ultimate goal of providing excellent resident care and enhancing the human spirit for every senior and employee.”
A Hands-On Approach to Senior Living
The Bennemas’ deep understanding of the senior living industry has led to Charter managing and strengthening many struggling communities across the country.
Their hands-on approach is unique, in that the duo travels four to five months out of the year in their Tiffin RV, spending time at each community in the Charter system visiting with residents and employees. The couple even assists with day-to-day activities and lends a helping hand where needed.
“Every morning, we want our community teams to answer the question, ‘Whose spirit are we going to enhance today?’ This is at the forefront of everything we do at Charter. Technologies may change, and they often help with caregiving, but it’s clear that people will always need the human touch. We see the importance of this every day and every time we visit communities,” says Keven.
Charter Senior Living: A Legacy of Caring
The couple’s passion for seniors has been passed down to their three children, who have assumed responsibilities in the industry and within the company, from helping with financial management to activities programming.
“To see this passion in our children is pretty remarkable,” Keven says. “This is truly a family business that we’re incredibly proud of.”
As the company and family look to the future, Bennema says he looks forward to seeing and utilizing innovative technologies in the senior living space.
“Virtual reality and predictive analytics will augment the care we provide,” he says. “We’ve already begun working with some of these technologies to improve the quality of life of those we serve and help prevent some of the most common dangers to seniors, including falls. We’re also seeing a large demand for memory care services. I believe it will only grow within the next five to ten years. We have a wonderful vision of how we want to enhance the lives of those affected by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.”
The vision to help those within the senior living space also extends to the staff.
“We understand the importance of people having a career, not just a job,” Keven explains.
“From my years of experience within this industry, I know the responsibility that comes with this career. It takes a unique and caring individual to work in the senior living industry. There’s no better time to work in the medical field, especially with seniors.”
About Charter Senior Living
Based in Naperville, Illinois, Charter Senior Living is a compassionate leader in the senior living industry. Whether it’s new development, expansion, or the repositioning of an existing community, Charter offers the breadth of experience to handle the nuances of growing and maintaining senior living occupancy.
A family-owned business with an executive team that has more than 100 combined years of experience in the senior housing industry, Charter Senior Living’s mission is to “enhance the human spirit” of residents, families and employees while serving with heart, purpose and courage – and to have fun while doing it.
Charter Senior Living offers Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care, depending on location. Contact us today to get a glimpse of what Charter Senior Living can offer you.