• Census data shows that more than 18% of people living in Bainbridge are over 65 years old.
• Magnolia Place plans to expand its Cairo and Bainbridge locations to meet the growing need for senior housing.
• Watch the story to hear from the seniors who rely on this type of housing and to learn more about the expansion plans.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

“I lost my husband. Our house is 25 miles from the lake in Seminole County, and at 95 years old, I can’t live there alone,” said 95-year-old Gloria Coppinger.

It’s an all-too-familiar story that older neighbors share when they realize they can no longer live alone.

“For many years, I volunteered for just about (everything) that came along,” Coppinger said.

Coppinger said that after her husband died, she knew that living alone in a rural area simply wasn’t an option.

She currently lives in Magnolia Place, formerly known as Riverside Place.

“Residents come here to live when they are no longer safe at home. They need 24-hour supervision from a caregiver. Maybe even a nurse,” according to Brande Stickland RN/ CDP, vice president of Magnolia Place.

The owners invested $400,000 in renovations.

Strickland said the facility provides supportive living and memory care services, making it the only memory care center in the county.

“I noticed that 25 percent of my population was from the west, meaning this county and Seminole County, especially in the memory care area,” Stickland said.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that a person who turns 65 today has a 70 percent chance of needing long-term care services at some point during their golden years.

Jay Mcdaniel founded Magnolia Place Cairo in the late 1990s and purchased a site in Bainbridge in January.

“The silver wave that people talk about demographically hasn’t really happened, but it’s on its way,” McDaniel said. “Over the next 10 to 14 years, twice as many assisted living beds and services are projected to be needed.”

U.S. Census data indicates that more than 18 percent of people living in Bainbridge are over the age of 65, and that number is expected to increase.

Mcdaniel said the facility plans to add 27 more units, bringing its total to 50 units once renovations are completed.

Residents like Coppinger said she is grateful to have found a safe home in the community she has known for decades.

“It’s more like home, that’s why I chose it,” Coppinger said.

The founder says expansions are already underway at the Cairo site.

The Bainbridge expansions will begin in fall 2025.