Morning Pointe Senior Living

Locally Founded, Focused on Assisted Living and Memory Care Since 1997

Morning Pointe Senior Living is a privately held assisted living and memory care operator headquartered in Ooltewah, Tennessee, near Chattanooga. Founded in 1997 by Greg A. Vital and Franklin Farrow, the company operates 43 communities across Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Rather than a broad continuum of care, Morning Pointe deliberately focuses on assisted living and Alzheimer's/dementia memory care, with many communities pairing a Morning Pointe assisted living building with a separate, dedicated memory care building operating under The Lantern brand. The company does not offer independent living or skilled nursing.

Visit the official Morning Pointe Senior Living website to learn more about the company and its communities.

Company at a Glance

●       Headquarters: Ooltewah, Tennessee

●       Founded: 1997, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, by Greg A. Vital and Franklin Farrow

●       Current leadership: Greg A. Vital, President and Co-Founder

●       Portfolio size: 43 communities

●       States served: Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee

●       Care and lifestyle options: Assisted living, memory care, and respite care

●       Official website: morningpointe.com

Senior Living and Care Options

Morning Pointe's portfolio is deliberately focused on two levels of care, rather than a broader continuum:

●       Assisted living

●       Memory care (Alzheimer's and dementia care, often under The Lantern brand)

●       Respite care

Morning Pointe does not offer independent living or skilled nursing. In many markets, the company operates a Morning Pointe assisted living building alongside a physically separate memory care building branded The Lantern at Morning Pointe, allowing residents with dementia to live in a dedicated, secured environment distinct from the general assisted living population. Not every market has both a Morning Pointe and a Lantern location; some communities offer assisted living only, memory care only, or a combined building housing both. Families should confirm the specific care types available directly on the Senior Care Finder listing for the community they are considering.

What Makes Morning Pointe Different?

A Focused Assisted Living and Memory Care Specialist

Rather than operating a full continuum that also includes independent living or skilled nursing, Morning Pointe has deliberately concentrated on assisted living and memory care since its founding. The company describes this focus, along with single-level building designs at many communities, as central to its approach to serving residents with age-related mobility and cognitive needs.

The Lantern: A Distinct, Dedicated Memory Care Brand

In many of its markets, Morning Pointe operates The Lantern, a physically separate memory care building distinct from its assisted living communities, designed specifically for residents living with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. This dedicated-building approach to memory care, rather than a wing within a larger assisted living building, is a differentiator from operators that integrate memory care into a single combined building in every market.

Locally Founded and Led for Nearly 30 Years

Morning Pointe was founded in Chattanooga in 1997 by Greg A. Vital and Franklin Farrow, who began with a goal of developing a half-dozen communities before building a permanent management team. The company continues to market itself as "locally led for nearly 30 years," a message the company positions as a contrast to larger, more distant corporate ownership structures.

Regular State Health Survey Recognition

Morning Pointe regularly highlights individual communities that pass unannounced state health department licensure surveys without any cited deficiencies, including recent examples at Morning Pointe of Spring Hill and The Lantern at Morning Pointe of Collegedale in Tennessee. The company frames these deficiency-free survey results as evidence of consistent regulatory compliance across its portfolio.

A Dedicated Charitable Foundation

The Morning Pointe Foundation, a separate charitable arm of the company, runs community-facing programs including the annual Seniors Got Talent competition for older adults and a golf tournament supporting scholarships for future healthcare professionals and caregiver education. This kind of dedicated foundation activity is a differentiator from operators without a comparable standalone charitable program.

Signature Programs and Services

The Lantern is Morning Pointe's dedicated memory care brand, operated as a physically distinct building in many of the company's markets, designed specifically for residents living with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

The Morning Pointe Foundation operates the annual Seniors Got Talent competition, now in its seventh year, along with a golf tournament supporting scholarships for future healthcare professionals and caregiver education across the company's markets.

Caregiver Café and associated caregiver support groups provide resources and community for family members supporting a loved one through the senior living decision-making process.

Life at a Morning Pointe Community

Life at a Morning Pointe community may include restaurant-style dining with made-from-scratch meals, medical and therapy partnerships, life enrichment activities, and beautiful grounds and walking paths, with many buildings designed on a single level for ease of mobility. Memory care residents at Lantern locations typically have access to a secured, dedicated environment separate from the general assisted living population.

Families evaluating any Morning Pointe or Lantern community should ask specifically about current staffing levels, recent state health survey results, and whether a specific market offers assisted living, memory care, or both, since not every Morning Pointe market has a paired Lantern building.

What Residents and Families Say

Morning Pointe does not publish a single portfolio-wide review rating, and Senior Care Finder's own listings show ratings that vary by individual community, generally in the mid-to-high 4-star range among the Premium and Premium+ listings reviewed during this research. Recurring themes in publicly available feedback include warm, attentive staff, engaging activities, and a supportive environment for residents with dementia, though experience can vary by community and time period. Families are encouraged to review recent feedback for the specific Morning Pointe or Lantern community they are considering rather than relying on portfolio-wide impressions.

Leadership

Greg A. Vital is President and Co-Founder of Morning Pointe Senior Living. He co-founded the company with Franklin Farrow in 1997 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and has led the company's growth from an initial goal of a half-dozen communities to 43 communities across five states.

Visit the official Morning Pointe About Us page for more on the company's founding story and current leadership.

Recent News, Growth, and Recognition

Morning Pointe of Spring Hill Earns Deficiency-Free State Health Survey

In June 2026, Morning Pointe of Spring Hill in Tennessee passed its annual health licensure survey conducted by the Tennessee Department of Health with no cited deficiencies, an unannounced inspection covering all aspects of the community's operations.

Read the company announcement.

The Lantern at Morning Pointe of Collegedale Earns Deficiency-Free State Health Survey

In June 2026, The Lantern at Morning Pointe of Collegedale, a memory care community in Tennessee, passed its annual health licensure survey conducted by the Tennessee Department of Health with no cited deficiencies.

Read the company announcement.

Miss America 2026 to Appear at Morning Pointe Foundation's Seniors Got Talent Finals

In July 2026, Morning Pointe Foundation announced that Miss America 2026 Cassie Donegan would make a special appearance at the finals of the 7th Annual Seniors Got Talent competition in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a talent competition for older adults across the Southeast.

Read the company announcement.

Morning Pointe Foundation Hosts Golf Tournament for Healthcare Scholarships

In July 2026, the Morning Pointe Foundation held its annual golf tournament in Athens, Tennessee, raising funds for scholarships supporting future healthcare professionals and caregiver education across the region.

Read the company announcement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Morning Pointe Senior Living? Morning Pointe Senior Living is a privately held company headquartered in Ooltewah, Tennessee, that operates 43 assisted living and memory care communities across Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Where is Morning Pointe headquartered? Morning Pointe is headquartered in Ooltewah, Tennessee, near Chattanooga.

Who owns Morning Pointe? Morning Pointe is privately held, founded and led by Greg A. Vital and Franklin Farrow since 1997. Greg Vital currently serves as President.

How many communities does Morning Pointe operate? Morning Pointe operates 43 communities across five states.

Does Morning Pointe offer independent living or skilled nursing? No. Morning Pointe focuses specifically on assisted living and memory care, and does not offer independent living or skilled nursing.

What is The Lantern at Morning Pointe? The Lantern is Morning Pointe's dedicated memory care brand, operated as a physically separate building in many markets, designed specifically for residents living with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

Does every Morning Pointe market have both assisted living and memory care? No. Some markets offer assisted living only, memory care only, or a combined building with both. Families should confirm the specific care types available at the community they are considering.

What do reviews say about Morning Pointe? Recurring themes include warm, attentive staff and a supportive environment for residents with dementia, though experience can vary by community. Families should review recent feedback for the specific community they are considering.

How much does Morning Pointe cost? Pricing varies by community, building, and level of care. Families should contact the specific community directly for current pricing.

How can families find a Morning Pointe or Lantern community? Families can browse Morning Pointe and Lantern communities through Senior Care Finder's listings or through the company's own community locator.

Explore Morning Pointe Communities

Comparing individual Morning Pointe and Lantern communities is the best way to understand what a specific location actually offers, since assisted living and memory care availability vary by market. Explore Morning Pointe communities on Senior Care Finder for current listings, ratings, and details for locations near you.

Services, pricing, availability, and resident experience can vary meaningfully from one Morning Pointe or Lantern community to the next.

Morning Pointe Senior Living is a paid Senior Care Finder partner. Partner status does not replace the need for families to independently evaluate individual communities, services, pricing, licensing information, and recent reviews.

Company information, leadership details, programs, recognition, and news were reviewed using publicly available sources. Information last reviewed July 2026.