Senior living project under construction in Glen Carbon

Brightly Senior Living, which is marketed as a high-end affordable approach to assisted living and memory care, is under construction in Glen Carbon. It is expected to be completed in September.

The new $9.2 million project along Illinois Route 157 will feature 38 assisted living apartments with a variety of floor plans and 22 private memory care suites in a one-story modern farmhouse design.

The site is part of the new Sunset Plaza being developed across from the Sunset Hills Professional Center.

The new design will provide comfort for residents inside and out, including today’s healthy lifestyle trends and a family-like environment. With the all-new fresh design, the company has paid special attention to areas that might be needed for unforeseen future pandemics or healthcare crises.

“A one-level community is far safer and more accessible to all of our residents,” said Michelle McKinney, co-founder and CEO of Brightly Senior Living. Special considerations were made for safe visiting spaces and in-house medical appointments.

“A great deal of time and attention to detail went in to every square foot of this community.”

As one of the most affordable options in the metro-east area, Brightly offers all-inclusive rates. This is a key to the Brightly lifestyle.  Residents are not charged based on a level of care system like other communities.  At Brightly, all personal care, services, and amenities are included in the monthly rent.

An emphasis on physical health is a fundamental component of all assisted living communities, but Brightly takes it so much further.

“People often think about wellness in terms of physical health — nutrition, exercise, weight management, etc., but it is so much more. Wellness is the integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, fueling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit,” McKinney said. “We want individuals to become the best kind of person that their abilities, circumstances and fate will allow.”

Fresh, nutritious food deliciously prepared is a high standard they maintain.

“Our long-term goal is to bring together the freshest products from local growers, farmers, and suppliers to create a delicious healthy menu. We want a harmonious network that could start at local farms and end at our table,” McKinney said.

She said Brightly Senior Living believes the surrounding environment plays a vital role in maintaining quality of life. It is locally owned and operated.

“We are a community that values families’ and friends’ contribution of knowledge about their loved ones and utilizes this information to provide the very best care. At Brightly, aging takes on a new meaning or rather a renewed one. We combine amazing care with a lot of love, sense of joy and purpose,” she said.  “This is the Brightly way.”

“We’re not a big corporate operation. We believe in community and family,” McKinney said. “We live here, our residents are our neighbors, our family, our friends. At this time in our society, we need family-like, smaller facilities that are available when needed.”

Scott Plocher, president of Plocher Construction Co., is the builder and co-owner of Brightly.

“This community deserves quality senior living options that provide excellent care and services at an affordable cost,” Plocher said.  “We will focus on family and staying true to why people love living here.”

For more information, call (618) 977-7402 or visit https://brightlylife.com/

ABOVE: Rendering of the new Brightly Senior Living facility, now under construction in Glen Carbon.