The inspiration for Orchard Park, an independent senior housing community, came from within the family of owners Michael Bradshaw and Stephanie Herzig.
The brother-and-sister team, who already had The Grove nursing home in Columbia, have two aging grandmothers and saw a need for housing for people in that age bracket who weren’t ready for a nursing home but also needed a little bit more help than they were getting at home by themselves.
“Most of them had raised a big family and now everybody’s kind of moved on and gone and they’re kind of left with this big home they have to maintain, a big yard,” Bradshaw said. “Normally it’s just one person so they have to cook just for one. It just gets where it doesn’t make a lot of sense for them to remain in that big house just by themselves.”
Enter Orchard Park.
The facility on Sumrall Road has smaller, maintenance-free homes in a good, safe community with one meal per day and housekeeping provided.
They looked at the small details to design the whole property with the senior adult in mind. For example, the doors are wider than standard so that a walker or wheelchair can easily fit through. The 900-square-foot units are all also on one level and have no steps.
Orchard Park, which opened in May 2017 with 12 homes, has proven popular with residents, Bradshaw said.
“It’s been really, really good. They love not having to worry about housekeeping anymore. They love not having to worry about the yard,” he said.
Many of the people who have moved in came from out of town but have some kind of connection to the Columbia area, such as an adult child here, Bradshaw said.
He said Orchard Park is “like a little family” with neighbors able to visit with one another.
The homes all feature two bedrooms and one bathroom, a one-car garage, large front porch and full-size kitchen with all the appliances included. They’re available for lease month-to-month, Bradshaw said.
They’re pet friendly and gated, and the facility has a director who checks on residents and runs errands for them. They also have some planned outings, like coffee socials, barbecues or fields trips to places like Red Bluff.
Residents can bring their own furniture and like the freedom of being able to come and go as they please, Bradshaw said.
All in all, Orchard Park has proven itself to be an asset for the community, providing a good step for those who don’t want to have to worry about running a home anymore.
“They like the small town, being closed to the hospital, being close to Walmart. Not having to get out and drive in the traffic of a larger city,” Bradshaw said. “They can still get to the library, the grocery store, places to eat in Columbia. So it’s been good for them.”
