Senior independent living community poised to come to Winter Garden

WINTER GARDEN As a resident of West Orange County and the senior vice president of operations at Sonata Senior Living, Shelley Esden knows there is a lack of independent-living options for seniors. 

Sonata Senior Living already operates a memory-care assisted-living in Winter Garden, Serenades by Sonata at West Orange. As people have become familiar with Sonata’s memory care, they have called to inquire about senior living options for higher-functioning seniors. 

Now, Sonata is ready to answer the demand. 

Sonata is prepared to open West Orange’s first senior independent-living facility, Sonata West.

“As a result of that growing demand and the anticipated growth in the number of seniors that we’re going to see in the area over the next few years, we felt the timing was right, and we’ve had good experience working with the city of Winter Garden,” Esden said. 

Sonata West is not limited to independent living: The location will feature 78 independent and 35 assisted-living apartments. 

The new living options will be at the corner of Roper and Daniels roads, directly behind the Serenades by Sonata at West Orange. 

The location allows for what is known in the senior living industry as a continuum of care — independent living, assisted living and memory care in one physical location. 

“As a result of that growing demand and the anticipated growth in the number of seniors that we’re going to see in the area over the next few years, we felt the timing was right, and we’ve had good experience working with the city of Winter Garden.” 

— Shelley Esden

In the future, Sonata also hopes there will be a medical facility on site. 

“When an individual moves in, as their needs change, they can age in place in the community without having to move to another location,” Esden said. 

The community also will be about one mile away from the new Florida Hospital Winter Garden. 

Sonata stresses the outdoors and being active. In addition to an indoor fitness center, the facility also will have an outdoor fitness path, designed with indigenous landscaping around the trail that will be labeled. It is intended to be interactive and encourage an intergenerational appeal to residents and their grandchildren.  There also will be an outdoor pavilion, bocce ball and a dog park for residents, as the community is pet friendly. Both the independent- and the assisted-living communities will have their own courtyard facilities — including features such as a pool, fountains and a fire pit. 

Esden said she hopes the facility will be able to include a fresh kitchen, where food is made with fresh ingredients from local growers. A wellness program at the community will encompass healthy-eating dining options with physical and mental-health programming. 

Independent-living apartments range from 450 to 1,600 square feet, and the assisted-living apartments range from 400 to 1,050 square feet. Each unit has its own washing machine and dryer.

For safety, residents push a button to check in electronically every morning. If the button is not pushed, the staff knows to go check on the resident. 

Sales and leasing center will open in the summer. Construction is scheduled to finish during March 2017.

Contact Jennifer Nesslar at [email protected].