This complex, multi-year, multi-phased project transformed Building 78 from a 1980s vintage Skilled Nursing Facility into a modern, veteran-centered, residential-style Community Living Center for the Bath VA Medical Center.
The Community Living Center is a 3-story building that houses 80 skilled nursing beds. The first floor features a 10-bed hospice unit and a PT/OT rehabilitation center along with other ancillary spaces. The second and third floors are comprised of 35 private resident rooms on each floor, or neighborhood, consisting of two houses. These houses, which have their own theme and follow the Veterans Affairs “Small House Model” Design Guide for Community Living Centers, are more like an All-Inclusive Resort rather than your traditional Skilled Nursing Facility.
Each house is ringed by resident rooms, taking advantage of natural light, and a center core consisting of a communal dining and living room. Private rooms include a single bedroom with a personal bathroom, and are furnished with a desk, a dresser, and a wall-mounted, flat-screen television. These rooms typically have large picture windows, and each room is equipped with an integrated lift system that can assist in moving the resident from the bed to the bathroom. Additionally, several of these rooms include features that are optimized for persons of size.
The living areas within each house are designed using color palettes, moldings, and furnishings reminiscent of the Greek Revival and Queen Anne period (late 18th and early 19th centuries). Hallways are larger and doorways are wider to accommodate wheelchairs. There are no static nursing stations, which allows nurses to work alongside and better mingle with residents. Each house also features a full-scale working kitchen that serves fresh, hot food, and has a counter suitable for wheelchair access that allows residents to participate in some meal preparations.
The shared spaces between the houses include a neighborhood great room with a fireplace, a screened three-season porch for residents to take advantage of the outdoors, a formal dining room for family events, and a Snoezelen Multi-Sensory room that can be used to reduce agitation and anxiety, stimulate reactions, and encourage communication.
These spaces help create a home-like atmosphere that is conducive to patient care and feature unique colors and signage that provide wayfinding cues designed to help residents with dementia and cognitive disorders better acclimate to their surroundings. Additionally, as part of the Veterans Affairs’ Whole Health initiative, residents will have access to spa space with a jetted spa but, aromatherapy, Reiki, and a massage chair.
