The Springs Living, the senior care company that opened its first community in Salem in 1998, is marking 30 years since its founding with three campuses serving northeast Salem.
Founder and CEO Fee Stubblefield started the company in 1996 after searching for care options for his grandmother, Lillian Stubblefield.
He promised her he would never put her in an "old folks' home."
Two years later, he opened the first Springs community in Salem. Both of his grandmothers, Lillian Stubblefield and Esther Short, attended the 1998 ribbon cutting, according to the company's website.
The company's three Salem locations are The Springs at Sunnyview (1950 45th Ave. NE), The Springs at Willowcreek (4398 Glencoe St. NE), and The Springs at Lancaster Village (4138 Market St. NE). Sunnyview offers independent living. Willowcreek provides assisted living and memory care through the company's Footsteps Memory Care program.
Lancaster Village offers both independent and assisted living.
The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce highlighted the company in a business spotlight published July 20, noting that the three campuses' proximity in northeast Salem allows staff to share expertise and coordinate transitions between levels of care for residents whose needs change over time.
The Springs Living, headquartered in Beaverton, now operates 23 communities across Oregon, Montana, and Washington with more than 2,000 employees companywide.
The company broke ground on a 24th community in Issaquah, Washington, in 2026. Brenda Connelly, president of The Springs Living, has more than 20 years of healthcare experience and joined the company as an executive director in 2010.
The company's name comes from Lehman Hot Springs in northeastern Oregon, where Stubblefield grew up.
The milestone arrives as Oregon's senior population outpaces its youth for the first time in state history. The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis estimates the state had nearly 900,000 residents over 65 in 2024, compared to 832,000 under 18.
By 2035, forecasters project Oregon will have 40% more seniors than children. In Salem, about 26,966 residents are 65 or older, roughly 15% of the city's population, according to U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates.
The Springs Living held a leadership conference in early July 2026 celebrating the 30-year anniversary, with sponsor contributions totaling more than $100,000 earmarked for employee scholarships, according to a company LinkedIn post.
