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Robert
Jafari

Robert Jafari is known for his significant achievements in health care and real estate development.

Naperville, Illinois

At the age of 17, Robert Jafari became a CEO after meeting his mentor and business partner while selling housewares door-to-door. Robert Jafari’s mentor recognized his drive and positive attitude, and imparted upon Robert Jafari his 20 years of experience in the nursing home construction industry. Robert’s mentor believed that the best education was experience and Robert Jafari spent the next two years working in one of his mentor’s nursing homes, learning every job ranging from janitorial work to administrative procedures.

Quickly satisfied with Robert Jafari’s progress and natural leadership abilities, his mentor formed a business partnership with his young protégé, appointing him CEO and co-founder of Butterfield Health Care Group of Bolingbrook, Illinois in 1987. Under Robert Jafari’s leadership, Butterfield Health Care Group expanded from one office and two assistants constructing a 107,000-square-foot nursing home for a total project cost of $12 million in 1989 to its present size as a company employing more than 700 professionals dedicated to the nursing home, medical office, and dental office construction trade.

Among the projects completed by Robert Jafari’s firm are the 245-bed Meadowbrook Manor of Naperville nursing home and the 200-bed Blossom Hill Health Center located 90 miles south of Chicago. Others include the renovation and expansion of the 100-year-old Meadowbrook Manor of LeGrange, a 203-bed nursing home, and Meadowbrook Manor of Geneva, a 150-bed nursing home featuring a three-story facility of 82 patient rooms on more than 5,000 acres of land. For the past three years, Robert Jafari has applied his expertise in building and managing senior health care facilities for BHC Construction Company, a firm he co-founded.

In addition to his professional endeavors, Robert Jafari serves on the board of directors of the Fox River Chapter of the American National Red Cross, Northwoods Children’s Museum, and the Illinois Council on Long Term Care. Robert Jafari is also currently enrolled in the four-year undergraduate program at Harvard University.


Robert Jafari's Publications

  • Robert Jafari’s Trends for Senior Housing, Robert Jafari
    September, 2011
    The co-founder of BHC Construction Company, Robert Jafari has several interests, including Jafari Medical Supply (www.jafarimedicalsupply.com), Jafari Aviation (www.jafariaviation.com), and the Jafari Family Project (www.jafarifamilyproject.com). He holds over two decades of experience in the design, building, and maintenance of senior housing developments. Below, he shares some of his thoughts on trends likely to affect the senior housing industry.

    Campus Extensions and Consolidations

    The senior housing market has traditionally been a highly fragmented sector, although with the increased financial stresses of the recession and decreased access to government financing, facility managers are looking for ways to increase efficiencies. Popular ways to bridge the funding gap without compromising services include consolidation and extensions.

    Repurposing and Renovating

    Similar to general residential construction, we see an increase in renovation and repurposing activities within the senior living industry. Renovations cost significantly less than new construction and can be accomplished in less time. The same holds true for repurposing in most cases. A standard residential community can be converted into a senior-friendly facility at a modest cost and on an accelerated time scale.

    Addition of New Technologies

    Senior housing facilities, both single-unit and multi-unit, will increasingly incorporate advanced technologies to give residents greater control over their activities while simultaneously assuring maximum comfort and safety. These technologies will range from health monitoring services to social networking tools to help seniors stay in touch.

    Residences Designed around Seniors’ Needs

    To combat the traditional aversion against senior housing, residence executives will increasingly enhance their facilities to greatly improve comfort, convenience, and enjoyment. Builders will pair amenities, such as extra-wide doorways, slip-proof surfaces, and support handles, with high-quality design that encourages social interaction, as well as independent living.

    Development of Retirement “Villages”

    The senior housing industry currently faces the challenge of providing a meaningful sense of community to residents. As a result, industry professionals have begun to create new facilities based on a “village” model. This allows seniors to live among different age groups and retain full control over their daily lives while still accessing an extensive range of amenities tailored to every stage in the aging process.