Westerwood

What Westerwood does

Westerwood is a nonprofit Life Plan Community (Continuing Care Retirement Community) in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1978 as Friendship Village Columbus and rebranded to its current name in 2021. The organization operates a 23-acre campus at 5800 Forest Hills Boulevard offering a full continuum of senior care: independent living (studio through three-bedroom apartments and garden apartments), assisted living, memory care, short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, and respite stays. The community reports 251-500 employees with a leadership team of approximately 15 directors spanning nursing, sales, dining, facilities, IT, HR, and accounting functions.

Westerwood generates revenue through three contract structures: Life Care (Type A) and Life Choice (Type B) agreements requiring one-time entrance fees plus recurring monthly service fees, and Rental agreements with no entrance fee but higher monthly rates. Entrance fees are partially refundable if residents leave within a defined window. Life Care contracts provide predictable, unlimited access to all healthcare services at the same fee structure regardless of evolving care needs, while Life Choice offers a lower upfront cost with discounted future healthcare rates. Healthcare services revenue (assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, rehab) flows through these contracts, with Rental residents paying market rates for additional care. The technology stack is standard for the sector — website CMS, Roobrik-powered care needs assessment, Care Merge resident engagement platform, and How's Mom family communication app — with no proprietary platforms.

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer and community-led: prospects reach Westerwood via website contact forms, dedicated phone lines, in-person campus tours, and a calendar of open houses, Lunch and Learns, and signature events (Oktoberfest, Fall Festival). Marketing is amplified by resident referrals, OSU Retirees Association and Otterbein University alumni partnerships, and a digital presence across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and an email newsletter. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Westerwood holds no venture or private equity backing, reinvests revenue into the community per its nonprofit mission, and has been recognized as a Top Workplace in Columbus for 10 consecutive years and as a Holleran Choice Community Award recipient.

Name

Westerwood

Legal name

Westerwood

Website

https://liveatwesterwood.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Westerwood is a nonprofit Life Plan Community in Columbus, Ohio, operating a 23-acre campus that delivers independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and respite care under Life Care, Life Choice, and Rental contract structures for middle-to-upper income seniors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Senior Living / Life Plan Community (Continuing Care Retirement Community)

NAICS

Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Continuing Care Retirement Communities (623311), Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury/Resort-Style Independent Living Communities (HLADAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Senior & Transitional Monthly Housing (THAMAFAJ)

Keywords

• Senior living services
• Life plan community
• Continuing care retirement
• Assisted living care
• Memory care support

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Entrance Fees (Life Care & Life Choice Agreements): One-time per-person entrance fees for Life Care and Life Choice contract holders. Entrance fees are based on the size and type of residence chosen and entitle residents to lifetime residency with full Life Care benefits. A partial refund is available if the resident leaves within a set number of years, with the refund decreasing over time.
2. Monthly Service Fees: Recurring monthly per-person fees based on residence size and contract type (Life Care, Life Choice, or Rental). Monthly fees cover all maintenance, utilities (including internet, Wi-Fi, cable), housekeeping, transportation, one daily meal, and full access to community amenities. Higher monthly fees apply for Rental agreements in lieu of an upfront entrance fee.
3. Flexible Lifestyle Discounts (Deduction from Monthly Fees): For snowbirds and travelers with Life Care or Life Choice contracts, monthly fees are discounted when residents are absent for 90+ consecutive days. Singles receive a 25% monthly fee discount; couples receive a discount equal to the second person's monthly fee. This reduces monthly revenue during resident absences but incentivizes the travel lifestyle.
4. Healthcare Services Revenue: As a Life Plan Community, Westerwood generates revenue from healthcare services including assisted living, memory care, long-term care, and short-term rehabilitation provided on campus. These services are available as part of the Life Care and Life Choice contracts, with the Life Care contract providing predictable costs and the Rental contract resulting in market-rate fees for additional care.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Westerwood is a nonprofit Life Plan Community (Continuing Care Retirement Community) on a single 23-acre campus in Columbus, Ohio, offering a full continuum of senior living services — independent living apartments, assisted living, memory care, long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, and respite stays. Residents contract under one of three structures (Life Care, Life Choice, or Rental agreements) that bundle housing, dining, utilities, housekeeping, transportation, amenities, and access to on-site healthcare. The community is supported by 50+ weekly activities and a Flexible Lifestyle Program that discounts monthly fees for snowbirds traveling 90+ consecutive days.

Product overview

Westerwood is a Life Plan Community (also known as Continuing Care Retirement Community) offering a comprehensive continuum of care on a single campus. The community provides Independent Living with various floor plan options (studio through three-bedroom apartments), paired with three contract types (Life Care, Life Choice, and Rental agreements) that determine pricing and healthcare access. Healthcare services include Assisted Living, Memory Care, Short-Term Rehabilitation, Long-Term Care, and Respite Stays. Additional offerings include a Flexible Lifestyle Program for travelers and comprehensive amenities such as dining, fitness, wellness programs, and social activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Independent Living

Quantifiable outcome

• Top Workplace in Columbus, Ohio for 10 consecutive years (based on employee feedback surveys)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Schmidt's Sausage TruckminorOthers · 26 September 2023Schmidt's Sausage Truck, voted the best food truck in Columbus by The Columbus Dispatch, was featured at Westerwood's Oktoberfest event. This food vendor partnership enhances the dining and event experience for residents and prospective residents at community events.
• Ohio State University Retirees Association (OSURA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2023Westerwood is a proud sponsor of the OSURA Fall Conference, the membership organization for all retired faculty and staff of The Ohio State University. The 40-year-old organization has more than 2,300 members, many of whom are Westerwood community members. This partnership helps generate awareness among OSU alumni and retirees in the Columbus area.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sunrise Senior Living: National senior living operator with a strong assisted living and memory care focus across the U.S. and U.K. Competes with Westerwood for residents who want premium, amenity-rich senior living in a campus setting.
• Atria Senior Living: Large for-profit operator of independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities across the U.S. Comparable in offering amenity-rich senior living with full lifestyle programming, though operates as a for-profit national incumbent.
• Brookdale Senior Living: Largest senior living operator in the United States, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care across hundreds of communities. Represents the for-profit national incumbent that Westerwood's nonprofit model is implicitly positioned against.
• Erickson Senior Living: Operator of large-scale continuing care retirement communities primarily on the East Coast. Closely comparable operating model (single large CCRC campus with entrance fees and full continuum of care), though for-profit and geographically distinct.
• Life Care Services: National management company that manages and develops more than 140 Life Plan Communities / CCRCs across the U.S. Highly relevant as an industry peer and potential third-party management or development partner for nonprofit CCRC operators like Westerwood.

Direct peers

• National Church Residences: One of the largest nonprofit senior housing providers in the U.S., headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Operates multiple CCRCs and senior living communities with full care continuums — a direct local nonprofit competitor.
• Presbyterian Senior Living: Nonprofit faith-affiliated provider of independent living, personal care, skilled nursing, and memory care across multiple campuses in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Comparable nonprofit CCRC operator with mission-driven positioning similar to Westerwood.
• Ohio Living: Ohio-based nonprofit provider of independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, and home health across the state. Directly comparable as a regional nonprofit Life Plan operator serving middle-to-upper income Ohio seniors.
• Otterbein SeniorLife: Nonprofit Life Plan Community operator headquartered in Ohio with multiple campuses offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing. Westerwood is located adjacent to Otterbein University's campus, and the organizations already have an active Lifelong Learning partnership.
• Trinity Health Senior Communities: Nonprofit Catholic health system with senior living and continuing care retirement communities across multiple states. Operates full care continuums under a mission-driven nonprofit structure closely analogous to Westerwood's model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/liveatwesterwood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/liveatwesterwood
• Instagraminstagram.com/liveatwesterwood

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Westerwood