JERSEY – Ribbon Cutting for the Villas of Holly Brook

The Villas of Holly Brook had a ribbion cutting ceremony and open house on Thursday, Oct. 21. (Cynthia Haggitt/Jersey County Journal)

By Cynthia Haggitt

Suzanne Boston, Executive Director at The Villas of Holly Brook, says she is proud to bring a new standard of assisted living to Jerseyville, Illinois. “I’d live here in a heartbeat. I’m only 54 years old and don’t require any of the assisted living options, but we have such a beautiful community here that it certainly makes me stop and think!”
On Thursday, Oct. 21, the facility held its ribbon cutting ceremony and open house. It has been fully open since September of 2020. The Villas of Holly is both a modern take on assisted living, and a state of the art memory care facility. These communities are split over two halves of the property.

Reflections by the Villas at Holly Brook is the memory care facility. It is secure and separate from the assisted living apartments. There are 20 private rooms and four semi private rooms in memory care, and each opens onto a park-like setting. The community focuses on inclusive, compassionate care for those with an Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnosis.
Boston said that the attention to detail and commitment to person-centered care is apparent in the Reflections facility. “We want to give our residents and their families state of the art facilities in a beautiful setting so that they can focus on their wellbeing.”
The other portion of the property is dedicated to assisted living apartments. Boston says that these apartments feel to her like an all-inclusive vacation, with all the perks. She explained, “We include three meals a day, cable, laundry, housekeeping and all the typical amenities that you can find in assisted living. But what sets us apart is what we do beyond those basic services.”
When touring the community, it is easy to see what Boston means. The Villas of Holly Brook includes a beautifully appointed four seasons room, which has expansive windows and is flooded with natural light. This room looks out onto two separate courtyards – one courtyard contains a rich flower garden, and the other a welcoming fireplace. There is also a Four Seasons Bistro Bar, where members of the community can enjoy a drink at the end of the day with their neighbors and friends and family.
Boston also mentioned that each room has a theme and some rooms are made to look like a house or the front door of a house. Each room is painted a different color so it looks like different little houses in each wing.
“The residents have access to a great big open area that’s beautifully decorated, lots of seats, several TVs out there the residents can watch, and a table where you can play checkers or chess, and that’s just in the memory care unit. There’s a great big fish tank with a lot of different colored fish in it and a little kitchen area where they can fix snacks and have their dining room. They have a beautiful courtyard filled with lots of flowers and trees,” Boston said. “Relatives can go outside and sit when visiting with their loved one. In the assisted living part, they have a pool table and a cafe, and a bar with tea and lemonade and soft-serve ice cream. Each of the assisted living and memory care has a spa, salon, exercise room and a movie theater.
There’s a sensory room too that can help calm a resident who may be having a difficult day.”
Boston said one of the staff’s goals is to get their residents to come out and be involved and visit with the other residents there. They offer a lot of activities. The staff in the memory unity is helpful and always lends a hand, no questions asked.
The Villas of Holly Brook has an activity center with a kitchen that could be used to have a birthday party or thanksgiving dinner. Adults can have a drink at the bar or a cup of coffee in the courtyard. Grandkids can fish in our stocked ponds and enjoy hotdogs and soft serve ice cream.
“We’ve tried to think of everything,” says Boston. “Whether you are hosting the grandkids or a group of friends, we have tried to create spaces and amenities to make doing so as pleasurable as possible.”
“A lot of people think that moving to an assisted living facility means that you will be leaving your old life behind – that you can’t have pets, or entertain, or continue to drive your own personal vehicle. But we know that this doesn’t have to be true, and that further it’s not what people want or need. People don’t want to live in a facility – they want a home, and that is what we’ve done here.”
Chad Philips, is the owner of the new facility, said, “We are excited about our facility here in Jerseyville.
The Villas of Holly Brook’s Reflections Memory Care is a state of the art facility that works with individuals with dementia. Philips said, “It’s a beautiful atmosphere with skilled quality care.” Reflections Memory Care Communities offer individualized healthcare plans, supervision by a nurse in a secured building that includes activity stations, outdoor walking paths and sensory gardens. It assists those who are experiencing confusion, wandering, sundowning, disorientation, loss of recognition of familiar faces and tasks.
Phillips explained that relationship with the City of Jerseyville is one of the many reasons that The Villas of Holly Brook are happy to be in Jerseyville.
Phillips said, “The Villa of Hollybrook is a community perfect for mature adults who are looking to spend retirement years enjoying life with similar individuals. Each community offers a variety of different floor plans to fit each individual person and their needs. The Villas have a wonderful mission statement that the company lives by every day.
“The company is dedicated to the highest level of care for their senior community whether it is short term stays, assisted living or their reflection’s memory care. We are a faith-based community which is the foundation for our growing organization.”
He also said that the assisted living accommodations can provide help when someone needs support . Reflections option features state-of-the-art living arrangements and staff to monitor and assist your loved one daily according to their ever-changing needs.

*Beth Bear Head of the JCBA contributed to this story too.*