BeeHive Homes of Oxford is holding a grand opening celebration on Friday, Oct. 11 and the public is invited to check out the newest assisted living community.

It’s located on the west side of N. Glaspie St. in the village, just north of Powell St. and the Polly Ann Trail.

“We really just want to get the word out (about) what it is that we’re doing, how we’re doing it and how we can help give families peace of mind,” said Matt Kopmeyer, who owns and operates BeeHive with his wife Marie.

BeeHive Homes of Oxford, the address for which is 73 BeeHive Dr., provides residential care for people who have memory care needs.

The grand opening celebration will run from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and include pumpkin painting, a bounce house, live music, food and beverages, door prizes and more. Visitors will be able to tour the 12,977-square-foot, congregate-style home that contains 20 units, each with a bedroom and private bathroom.

“We just want the community to know what BeeHive is all about, see the home, feel the home, feel the difference,” Kopmeyer said. “You just never know when somebody in your circle is going to need something (like this). We want them to know that we’re here.”

What separates BeeHive from other places, according to Kopmeyer, is “we’re a home, we’re not a facility.”

At many similar establishments, visitors immediately encounter a desk manned by a receptionist when they walk through the front door. That’s not the case at BeeHive. Once visitors set foot inside, they’re immediately enveloped in a warm, home-like atmosphere as they’re surrounded by the dining room, kitchen and spacious family room.

BeeHive residents receive three meals a day, which are “all home-cooked” and “dietician-approved,” plus snacks, according to Kopmeyer.

“Everything is made from scratch,” he said. “We’re not just buying a Stouffer’s lasagna.”

Residents who feel peckish outside of normal mealtimes needn’t worry about the clock.

“The kitchen never closes,” Kopmeyer said. “Much like in your own home, the kitchen here doesn’t close, either.”

Currently, BeeHive Homes of Oxford has one resident, plus two others who are waiting to move in. That leaves 17 units available.

When the home is full, there will be approximately 15 caregivers working there on a full-time basis. Seeing to residents’ needs will always be their “first and foremost priority,” Kopmeyer said.

BeeHive doesn’t just want employees with experience, they want employees that truly possess a natural inclination to put others first and do what’s best for them, he explained.

“They really need to have a caregiver’s heart to work in our culture,” Kopmeyer said. “I can’t stress that enough . . . (Resident care is) something we will not compromise on.”

Finding the right caregivers is particularly important when it comes to interacting with people who have memory care needs because at BeeHive, Kopmeyer said, “We live in the moment with our residents.”

“If our residents think (today is some point in their past), we’re in that moment with them. We’re not trying to tell them or convince them that they’re wrong,” he explained.

Secondary duties for BeeHive caregivers include meal preparation, housekeeping and handling resident laundry. “We run it just like a normal home,” Kopmeyer said.

Eventually, the Kopmeyers hope to build four more 20-unit homes on this site, creating a campus atmosphere.