Elderly care centre of the future – 3 questions to Jonas Zelba, the CEO of Care Investments

BaltCap Growth Fund portfolio company Gemma with its holding company Care Investments started the construction of a long-planned new modern home for the elderly to raise the quality standard of long-term care in Lithuania.

1. What differentiates the new elderly care centre in Vievis from the current facilities?

First of all, no other such modern infrastructure simply exists in the country. We have paid close attention to the specific needs of the elderly, both inside and outside the facility.

In Lithuania, only 8% of all now-offered elderly care rooms are single. Our new seniors’ home will have 58 single rooms and 51 double rooms. All rooms are carefully planned – the beds are positioned so seniors can look outside, bathrooms are spacious, the height of the toilet facilities adjusted, and corridors are wide and with handrails.

For us, it is important the elderly can continue their active lifestyle in the centre; therefore the building includes a restaurant, shared spaces for relaxation and activities, massage and physical rehabilitation rooms, a beauty salon, a reading room and a prayer room.

The new facility offers various opportunities for outside activities: terraces for board games, a relaxation area, a greenhouse, a garden with fruit trees and walking paths, and a special sports field.

The complex will be divided into zones based on the health and needs of seniors. For example, one building will be dedicated to dementia patients, with special interior design and attributes. Such facilities do not exist in any of the Baltic countries.

2. The new facility’s location is fairly uncommon, situated between two big cities, Vilnius and Kaunas. How was it chosen?

We are trying to break stereotypes that elderly homes must be in the forest or by the lake. This territory in Vievis was chosen because it is easily accessible from Vilnius and Kaunas and has a functional infrastructure nearby.

The examples of major European countries show that such facilities benefit from locations in populated areas with much life and excellent communications and infrastructure. It creates a feeling of belonging to a community.

In Vievis there is also a shopping centre and a kindergarten nearby. According to the UK and Japan practices, the opportunity to communicate with children is very important and makes seniors feel happier.

3. What are your expansion plans for the near future?

Currently, BaltCap manages four nursing homes in Estonia, with a total of almost 600 beds. We are exploring opportunities to establish elderly houses in other big cities in Lithuania. In the long run, the goal is to form a portfolio of 800-1000 beds, which means starting to build another object in 2023.

Also, we plan to start building a 129-bed facility in Mažeji Gulbinai in 2023. We have excellent cooperation with Elektrėnai municipality, which is always of great help and provides good partnership. In Vievis, everything from the plot purchase to the construction was completed within a year and was greatly supported by the municipality’s benevolence.

Read the full version of the original article in Verslo Žienos.