Cascade Park Communities began in 1994 when Don Hansen, a local businessman and licensed professional engineer, perceived a lack of affordable senior living facilities in the Puget Sound region when he was investigating the options for his then-85-year old father.
Hansen found that many organizations offered living accommodations, but the services and prices appeared to be beyond the scope of the average senior citizen. Additionally, he perceived that most facilities didn’t offer fulfilling senior activities. From that observation, Hansen moved forward with the design and construction of Cascade Park Gardens, a 95-bed licensed boarding home located in south Tacoma, which held its grand opening in 1995. Hansen remains active in the business, serving as manager and president of Cascade Park Communities.
With the success of Cascade Park Gardens, Hansen was presented with the opportunity in 1998 to purchase a second community, the former Grand Vista, located near downtown Tacoma. He renamed it Cascade Park Vista, and the 112-room facility became Cascade Park Communities’ operational headquarters, providing jobs for more than 60 individuals.
Formerly the Doric Hotel, Cascade Park Vista, which this year celebrates its 16th birthday, is in the heart of Tacoma’s Stadium Historical District and is home to over 100 seniors/adults, many of them funded by the state’s Medicaid program.
As a couple of years passed, Hansen realized that Cascade Park Vista had many large areas within the building that weren’t effectively utilized. He saw an additional need for a daytime program that would provide individuals and families faced withchronic healthcare concerns an alternative to moving into a residential or long-term care facility. This led to the creation of Cascade Park Active Day, an adult day healthcare program dedicated to giving frail, physically or cognitively disabled adults the opportunity to meet new friends, immerse themselves in activities and enjoy daily life in a supportive environment. The facility opened in 2000 and now has a traditional program, a traumatic brain injury program, and a memory care and wellness program housed in two specially designed areas adjacent to Cascade Park Vista.