Sunrise Story

 

Before 1981, there was no "senior living" as we know it today in the United States. Families faced a heart-wrenching choice when caring for their frail, aging relatives; their options were either home care or the sterile, impersonal environment of traditional long-term care.

At the age of 15, Terry Klaassen and her father struggled to care for Terry's terminally ill mother at home rather than put her in an institution with cold corridors, hard linoleum floors and harsh fluorescent lighting. After her mother's death, Terry and her husband, Paul Klaassen, volunteered at several health and senior care facilities. Again and again, they saw relatively healthy older men and women who were forced to give up the comfort, privacy and independence of their homes. There were simply no options other than the institutional environment of traditional long-term care facilities.

An Idea from Holland

Originally, Paul's family was from the Netherlands. As a child, he visited his grandparents in assisted care houses, called "verzorgingstehuizen." There, seniors lived in a warm, homelike environment. They enjoyed the independence and dignity of doing all the things they had done on their own—shopping, cooking and laundry—but they also had the security of assistance when they needed it. Paul and Terry decided to introduce this concept to the United States; they began work on a senior care facility built on this resident-centered philosophy.

The young couple sold their house, then moved into and renovated a boarded-up nursing home in Northern Virginia. In the first year of business, Paul and Terry cared for the residents themselves. Together, they turned a vision into a reality. Word spread of this new senior care alternative—an alternative that perfectly balanced individual privacy with community spirit, and independence with assistance.

In response to increasing demand, the Klaassens opened two more Sunrise communities in the mid-1980s. They retrofitted old buildings to meet their new philosophy of care. The result was a secure, comfortable and familiar environment for their residents. It wasn't long before Paul and Terry were imagining an even better community—one built from the ground up. In 1987, Sunrise opened the first of their Victorian-style mansions, now a nationally recognized symbol of Sunrise's high-quality assisted living.

Driven by demand, good will and success, Sunrise has grown quickly. Although there are now more than 420 Sunrise Senior Living communities around the world, we hold true to the vision that started our company.

Tapping a Vast Need

Sunrise started as a personal mission, became a successful business and then pioneered an industry. Elderly Americans represent a large, growing population and an important social issue. Amidst this social phenomenon, Paul and Terry Klaassen created Sunrise and changed the way America serves its seniors. And over time, Sunrise has earned a reputation as a premier provider of innovative and nurturing senior living.

Expanded Scope of Services

In the spring of 2003, Sunrise Assisted Living changed its name to Sunrise Senior Living to highlight the broader scope of services and programs designed to meet the specific needs of seniors. Today Sunrise offers At Home Assisted Living; Independent Living; Assisted Living; Alzheimer's Care; Nursing & Rehabilitative Care; Hospice Care; and Short-term Stays. Sunrise has exported its popular signature communities and services to Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany.