10/06/2025
Every month, we will be showcasing an incredible person that makes Avielle Haven what it is. 💖
Today, meet a luminary, a visionary... our extraordinary owner, Cari Foerster.👋🏻👋🏻
"My name is Cari Foerster. I’m a registered nurse, the eldest of three, and I’ve been married to my husband Jason for 26 years. We have two daughters: Avery, 21, a senior at Grand Valley State University, and Elliot, 12, a 7th grader at Freeland Middle School. When I’m not working I enjoy being with family and close friends, singing, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and exploring creative pursuits — lately I’ve been trying my hand at writing.
I spent more than a decade in the travel industry before deciding in my early 30s to pursue nursing because I wanted to make a meaningful difference. Family experiences — my mother’s battle with multiple sclerosis and my grandmother’s brain cancer — drew me to the nervous system and to neurocritical care. My first nursing role was in a Neuro/Trauma ICU. Although I learned a great deal, I realized after about two years that that intense hospital environment wasn’t the right fit for me.
What followed felt uncertain at the time, but those roles ultimately prepared me for a new path. In 2015 a fellow nurse and I began renovating and opening an assisted living facility (completed in 2016). Over the next decade I spent countless hours with our residents — my own living classroom — developing and testing approaches to care and the environment. I studied how different spaces, personalities, and family dynamics affected wellbeing and used those insights to improve each person’s experience.
That work revealed my true passion: serving older adults. Where many see sadness, I see beautiful, authentic souls preparing for their next chapter. Stripped of ego, they still crave love and connection. My purpose is to create environments and relationships that honor humanity and help older adults thrive.
I believe every interaction is an opportunity to honor dignity, foster meaningful connection, and bring a little more joy into someone’s day. I am committed to compassionate leadership, thoughtful environments, and continual learning so residents and their families feel seen, supported, and celebrated. I welcome conversations with families and colleagues who share a desire to make senior living warm, respectful, and full of life.
Avielle Haven has been such a success that we are expanding. We’re completing a major 4,600-square-foot addition that includes eight private suites with en-suite bathrooms and a commercial kitchen, and we are adding a small secured memory care unit. This expansion will be opening in the coming weeks — please stay tuned for our ribbon-cutting ceremony and Grand Opening festivities. We look forward to celebrating with our community and welcoming new residents and families."
