By admin 
GILBERT, AZ — As more Americans get older, the need for senior care is growing, and that demand is already being felt in Gilbert.
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Ron and Pat Stuewe have been married nearly 64 years. For the last few years, they have called Pebble Ranch Senior Living home. For Pat, the move was a natural progression.
“This place is so special because it just was the next step, the next perfect step,” Pat Stuewe said.
As the couple has aged, their needs have changed.
“When you get to be our age, things change so rapidly, and somebody’s always here to help,” Pat Stuewe said.
More Americans are reaching that age. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the oldest baby boomers are turning 80 this year.
In Gilbert, Pebble Ranch Senior Living says it is almost full.
“We are close to capacity. I only have one vacant apartment at this time with a growing waitlist,” Briana Watson, executive director of Pebble Ranch Senior Living, said.
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Town documents show an applicant is looking to build an 88-unit congregate care facility near Higley and Pecos. The town says the project remains under review and still needs to go before the planning commission and town council.
Watson says more options in the area would benefit families.
“We can’t serve every family that comes in because we do have occupancy limitations, so it’s good for people to have options,” Watson said.
For Ron and Pat, finding the right option has meant finding a community where they can continue their life together.
“The residents look after each other. We look after the staff too, believe it or not, and the staff takes great care of us, so it’s a wonderful place to live,” Ron Stuewe said.
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