✨✨General Discussions

Wind Crest, an Erickson Senior Living Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), occupies 82 acres about fifteen miles from downtown Denver, Colorado. The eighty-two-acre campus includes over 1490 apartment homes, three multipurpose community buildings, fifteen buildings for independent living apartment homes, and an assisted living building.

The property is roughly bisected by the 71-mile hand-dug High Line Canal, originally intended to place about 50,000 acres under cultivation by delivering nearly 71 million gallons per day from the North Platte River. The full potential was never realized because of prior claims to the water. Now designated a National Landmark Trail, it is open for hikers, bikers, joggers, and (along some segments) equestrians.

Wind Crest is outside of the Regional Transportation District (RTD-Denver) and public bus and light-rail service is not readily available.

Wind Crest offers offsite transportation at $6.00/mile (each way) with a fifteen-mile limit. Reservations must be made 24 hours in advance (a return call within forty-eight business hours) for transportation between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. weekdays. Last minute or same day reservations incur a penalty of fifteen dollars. Many medical facilities are outside of the fifteen mile limit. Uber and Lyft are available, but they are not convenient for residents with restricted vision, who are not comfortable using the cell phone, or who have reservations riding with an unknown driver..

A No-Car Club was formed by residents for residents to secure offsite transportation without the time and distance restrictions and on weekends and holidays. Alternatives included the RTD-Denver Access-a-Ride that provides service at $4.50 per trip for those with a physical or vision disability. Access-a-Ride includes a provision for those qualified for Access-on-Demand which provides reimbursement for the first $25.00 of transportation expenses with Uber or Lift up to sixty times per month. Additional transportation may be provided by GoGoGrandparent, a subscription service (for a fee) that provides contact with vetted Uber or Lyft drivers by telephone. This is essential for residents who are not comfortable using the APP on a cell phone.

The Limits imposed on transportation do not appear to be consistent with the provisions of a 501 (c) (3) Non-Profit Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) where many residents no longer have the use of a car, do not have relatives nearby, or who chose a full service CCRC to maintain independence upon retirement.   

Dick Malenfant

Erickson Senior Living

Wind Crest

Highlands Ranch, CO

My community has a transportation department and provides fee-for-service transport for non-medical trips. To a limited extent medical trips are supported. We too are a 501(c)3. When I compared the charges for trips to the cost of an UBER ride, our transport was cheaper, but less convenient because the ride had to be scheduled in advance, whereas UBER is usually a 5 or 10 minute wait.

A non-profit must be financially sustainable. "No margin? No mission," is what some executive say to remind us. That said, the budgeting and finances of every nonprofit should be transparent. And you and your fellow Erikson residents deserve to weigh in on decisions about how services are budgeted. Management may tend to prioritize curb appeal over service to present residents because it is essential to attract new residents and maintain occupancy over 90%. But you and your fellow residents are their best source of solid leads. Your satisfaction shows up in converting a prospect into a new resident.

With your No-Car Club, you have the makings of a great service to your community. Nice innovation.

Richmond Shreve

NaCCRA Board Member

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