Harrisonburg retirement home under new management, renamed English Meadows | Business & Economy

Even a rainy day couldn’t stop a celebration Thursday of a new business venture.

Phoenix Senior Living retirement home in Harrisonburg is now under new management and is being renamed English Meadows. 

Chris Grogg, regional guard of operations for 2020 Management, said he was excited about the transition.

“One of the greatest things about our company,” said Grogg at Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, “is that we are resident-focused. It’s why we’re in this business. It’s been a great change for us to come into this building, see what the residents want and need, and create an environment where they can all live.”

Workers and those living in the retirement home were given a banquet in the main lobby, consisting of shrimp, chicken, pastries, and a platter of vegetables.

Kelli Welch, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for English Meadows, explained how their company came to Harrisonburg.

“English Meadows is the brand name,” Welch said, “we’re under the 2020 Management umbrella, and this is our management company. We work with several companies and take over management when there’s a need for change. So, we worked with the owners of this company for some of our other properties, and they’ve had this building for a couple of years.”

Welch said that when the opportunity came along for a new management company, Phoenix Senior Living reached out to them.

“We’re really excited to become part of the Harrisonburg market,” she said.

Their main office is in Blacksburg, and other buildings are in Fishersville and Berryville.

English Meadows in Harrisonburg aims to continue providing top-quality care for residents and families.

Changes to the retirement home will include revamping the dining menu and the Lavender Hills dementia center.

“We do an all-inclusive model for pricing,” Welch said, “so it makes it much easier for our residents to plan long term financially for what they’re going to be looking at, versus ‘what if mom needs help going to the bathroom or taking a shower?’ We keep that included, so it allows families and our residents to plan long-term financially and know what to expect year after year.”

Carol Anne Taplin, the executive director starting on Monday, has worked at English Meadows for seven years at the Lavender Hills English Meadows.

Her role in the company will be to ensure that all the standards are met by the workers for the residents.

“This is a brand-new area for me,” Taplin said, “so I’m excited to get in and meet everybody new, meet the great team that they have here, and keep going in the right direction.”