Academy University Hill

Academy University Hill occupies the former campus of Mount Saint Gertrude, a historic Catholic boarding school, at 970 Aurora Avenue in Boulder, Colorado. The community opened here in 1998 and offers independent living and assisted living, with 10 detached bungalows, apartments in the Flatiron Building and the Historic Academy Building, and 7 assisted living suites. Its University Hill neighborhood sits between Chautauqua and Flagstaff Mountain, a short distance from the University of Colorado.

Independent living is arranged as a membership, and the monthly dues cover weekly housekeeping, an annual deep cleaning of each residence, and utilities along with wifi, basic cable and a landline. Nurses on staff provide wellness services as part of a broader wellness program, and an emergency call system is backed by staff who are on hand around the clock. A chauffeur service also takes residents to destinations within the City of Boulder.

Assisted living residents live alongside independent living residents, in one of 7 suites within the same community. Their monthly service includes everything independent living offers, plus all meals, nurse oversight, staff assistance at any hour and one hour of private care with the activities of daily living. Staff help with dressing, showering and grooming, escort residents to meals, and manage and administer medications, while appointments are coordinated with transportation provided.

Daily housekeeping, laundry with linen changes and monthly hair services are part of suite life as well. Home care is also available, offered in 15-minute increments up to care around the clock and covering personal care, companion services and medication management. Dining puts its weight on quality and service, with a choice of venues and menus. Independent living dues include a monthly allowance toward lunches and dinners ordered a la carte, along with complimentary breakfast from Monday through Saturday.

A weekly social hour brings cocktails, wine, beer and hors d'oeuvres, and special wine tastings appear on the calendar too. Days can include discussion groups, hikes, concerts, lectures and outings, with weekly social gatherings and celebrations for special occasions. For exercise, residents use a lap pool and hot tub with water classes, TechnoGym cardio and strength machines, free weights, group exercise and personal training, while a historic auditorium, a library, a private conference room, a salon and a massage treatment room fill out the shared spaces.

Each of the 10 bungalows stands detached, with its own finishes and floor plan, an attached garage, a front porch and a back patio or balcony. Apartments in the two buildings run from one-bedroom, one-bath layouts up to two bedrooms and three baths with a den. Garages, electric vehicle garages and storage units can be rented by the month, and a guest suite is available by the night for overnight guest stays.

Chautauqua Park on Baseline Road is less than half a mile away and Beach Park on Euclid Avenue about a quarter mile, with Flagstaff Mountain less than a mile and a half to the west. The Hill business district, including The Sink on 13th Street, is less than half a mile from the campus, while the Pearl Street Mall lies about a mile north. Foothills Hospital on Arapahoe Avenue is about two and a half miles east in a straight line, and the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History on Broadway is about half a mile away.

Academy University Hill suits older adults who want independent living in a bungalow or apartment on a historic Boulder campus, with assisted living suites in the same community. Move-in for both independent living and the assisted living suites is arranged through a waitlist, and each waitlist carries a partly refundable deposit.