MT. LAUREL, N.J., July 9, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NFL Alumni Association announced today that its commercial marketing arm, Pro Football Legends, is aligning with a Florida-based developer to provide assisted living and memory care services for former NFL players.
"The strategic alliance focuses on providing a better lifestyle for retired NFL players who need assisted living and memory care services," says Joe Pisarcik, President and CEO of the NFLAA. "With an aging population and more and more Americans needing memory care services, including some former NFL players, we want to give our members an option that we can stand behind. We were impressed by Validus Senior Living and its Inspired Living brand of communities and know they will exceed our retired players' needs."
"We are proud to announce that we will align with the NFLAA and spend more than a billion dollars constructing premium assisted living and memory care communities in major cities with high concentrations of retired NFL players," says Mark Bouldin, who works with Validus Senior Living management on their Inspired Living brand of communities.
Bouldin, along with Validus Senior Living and Piper Jaffray, a full-service U.S. investment bank, will spend $1.1 billion dollars constructing 33 assisted living and memory care communities in the United States, during the next five years. The communities will be located in major cities with high concentrations of retired NFL players.
The news could not come at a better time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in eight adults over 60 report some form of memory loss.
"With the support of the NFLAA, we will be able to serve the care needs of retired football players and the local communities in which there is a NFL franchise," says Steve Benjamin, CEO of Validus Senior Living.
The first community opens outside of Orlando in 2016. The premium care communities will offer swimming pools, dog parks, boardwalks, tiki huts, exclusive technology, and putting greens, as well as fine dining.
According to the Alzheimer's association, five million people in the United States need long-term care today. That number is expected to explode to 15-22 million by 2020.
"As a leader in senior living financing, Piper Jaffray is pleased to have aligned with the experienced development team and the NFLAA," says Brad Winges, Head of Piper Jaffray Fixed Income Services. "We continue to see the growing need for memory and senior care across the United States and this partnership is a great step towards fulfilling that need."
About the NFL Alumni and Pro Football Legends
Pro Football Legends is the commercial marketing name and logo of the NFL Alumni Association, a nationwide group comprised mainly of former National Football League players, coaches, and other employees whose mission is to serve, assist, and inform players and their families. The association offers a variety of medical, financial, and social programs to help members lead healthy, productive and connected lives, as well as community initiatives under its "Caring for Kids" programs. For more information, please visit: www.nflalumni.org.