A new housing complex for senior citizens is expected to open in Bethel Park by April and offer a mixture of independent living, assisted living and secured dementia units.

Paramount Senior Living at Bethel Park, on Baptist Road, will be owned and operated by Paramount Health Resources, which is owned by Jay Cox, of Bethel Park.

"This building is locally owned and operated," Mr. Cox said. "If you have a question or problem, I am local and I address issues very quickly."

The new facility will hold 120 beds, with 15 independent living apartments, 77 assisted living units and 28 units for people with dementias.

The dementia unit will be on the third floor and will have a secured terrace where residents can walk freely, Mr. Cox said. "It will be partially covered with a roof and then there will be an open area that will be landscaped and it will be very attractive," he said.

Unlike other senior living communities where residents are required to make a deposit to buy into the community, the units at Paramount Senior Living at Bethel Park will be rented.

Rent for the independent living apartments will start at $1,500 a month, and rent for the assisted living units will start at $3,000 a month. The independent and assisted living areas will offer studios through two-bedroom units, and the dementia unit will offer studios and one-bedroom units.

The facility will be staffed with nurses around the clock, and rehabilitation services will be available on site, although residents can contract with outside companies as well for those services, Mr. Cox said. The facility is expected to employ 85 people when it is operating at full capacity.

Paramount owns another facility called Paramount Senior Living at South Hills on Knoedler Road in Baldwin Borough. That facility was opened by a South Park couple in 1998 as Merryheart Independent Living Apartments. Mr. Cox bought it in 2004 and converted it to assisted living and assisted living with dementia in a secured environment.

The Baldwin facility has 120 beds and is currently filled and has a waiting list, Mr. Cox said.

Paramount also has a senior living facility in Mars, Butler County, called the Worthington at Adams, which is a building that provides secure care for dementia patients.

Mr. Cox said he hopes to have a model unit completed at Paramount Senior Living at Bethel Park by Nov. 1. After that, tours will be offered to prospective residents.