Kathy Prasad, founder and ceo of Woodlands LLC, says the goal of her company is to keep up with emerging trends in senior health care, and Woodlands Assisted Living at HamptonWoods is a prime example of the success of the endeavor.

Since purchasing and renovating the core facility, the former AustinWoods Nursing Center, in 1996, growth and expansion have been the order of the day, and that’s not changing, she says.

With her sons, Frank Antalocy, CFO, and Jason Antalocy, purchasing agent and Home Care overseer, helping to run her burgeoning business, Prasad looks toward continuing expansion throughout Mahoning County, and each step will respond to the demands that are current at the time, she says.

New lifestyles create different demands: as seniors now look more toward short-term rehabilitation in outpatient centers and long-term living at home, the care directed toward them has also had to adapt. Thus, the former AustinWoods facility was joined in 2006 by HamptonWoods Nursing Center in Poland, where the new concept of “neighborhood living” saw residents clustered in four wings of homelike settings, with common dining and activity areas, and also began offering a rehabilitation unit for residents wishing short-term stays averaging 14 days.

Woodlands Home Care, based at AustinWoods, was founded to meet a growing demand from those patients who, though living independently, need help with such living routines as medication, diet, and maintaining hygiene. The newest emerging focus, Prasad says, “is on staying at home and receiving community-based care. We are working to provide services on every level of need.”

With a staff hovering around 350, Woodlands LLC makes a major impact on Mahoning County’s economy. As its client base continues to age and require services, Prasad’s goal is to anticipate and respond to changing needs, in line with Woodlands’ slogan, “Exceptional Service with a Personal Touch.”

“Our challenge,” she says, “is to continue offering top-level services, as affordably as we can."