(NEENAH, WIS.) Aug. 6, 2026—The most innovative amenity at the new CopperStone Senior Living community will not be the rooms, gardens, or activities—it will be the exceptional staff. When the doors open on the company’s second residence in the Fox Valley, care levels for assisted living and memory care will surpass other communities.
“We planned to get ahead of the curve and develop a high-care setting for people with complex needs that 10 years ago would have been in a nursing home,” said owner Nicole Barrett. “Our caregivers are the heart of our building,” she said.
The facility has 56 assisted living units and 20 memory care units and is staffed by one full-time RN and two full-time LPNs. The nursing staff is scheduled so there is skilled care 24/7 and there are already plans to add additional nursing staff. In addition, the community plans to create 50-55 additional jobs.
“Many of our residents are clinically complex and have multiple co-morbidities, so a high nurse to resident ratio is maintained. That partnered with high retention of our care givers is central to providing high-quality care,” Barrett said. She added that CopperStone has less than a 10% turnover rate among staff, which provides consistency for residents.
The community will provide specific on-site care to limit the need to transport residents to
outside clinics or hospitals. CopperStone nursing staff provide the following care among other services:
Staff is trained to perform onsite lab/blood draws which are then sent by courier to various health clinic labs, and care givers automatically update residents’ physicians.
Nurses coordinate wound care for residents with a third-party provider.
Diabetic foot care is provided on site.
Nurses coordinate medication changes directly with residents’ physicians and pharmacies.
Catheters/Ostomy management is taken care of onsite.
The CopperStone chef maintains certifications to safely provide therapeutic diets; important for diabetic residents.
“With multiple nurses on staff, we are able to provide additional training for our care teams to recognize the signs and symptoms, which aid in early detection if there is an infection. We then immediately collect a urine sample and send it out to be screened for a possible urinary tract infection.”
Barrett said. “This proactive care means family members don’t have to transport residents outside of CopperStone for care, and they know their loved one has immediate attention resulting in improved clinical outcomes.”
The new community is 72,000 square feet on a 62-acre property located on the west side of Fox Crossing. There are already plans to expand the facility once it is fully occupied.
Locating the expanded facility in a rural area was intentional to provide care for residents in smaller communities outside of the Fox Cities. Both Aaron and Nicole Barrett are from small towns and
realized the challenge for rural seniors and their families.
“Many small towns don’t have the level of care seniors need, causing seniors to move to big cities despite wanting to stay in country setting,” Barrett said. “Because we worked in rural health care, we know It’s hard to operate a successful community in a small town, because you need significant capacity to cover overhead.”
In addition to elevated nursing care, the new community features:
A variety of living options, including spacious one-bedroom and studio apartments each with its own private bathroom with a full-size shower and vanity.
Residents will also enjoy amenities such as a full-service dining facility, coffee bar, library, life enrichment activities and private spaces.
Outdoor spaces with walking trails to promote recreation and relaxation.
Memory care residents can enjoy the outdoors in a covered patio and a fully enclosed courtyard to prevent wandering.
Residents will start moving in August 10 and there are still limited apartments available. For more information, please visit copperstoneassistedliving.com.
