Alexian Village of TennesseeWe saw this east of our office in north Springdale.
Posted by NWADG on Wednesday, March 25, 2015
A $23 million Signal Mountain nursing home project cleared the required administrative hurdles Wednesday and will start this summer.
Alexian Brothers plans to finish its new self-funded, 114-bed health and rehabilitation center by the summer of 2014. The plan was unanimously approved by Tennessee's Health Services and Development Agency.
"We're very happy to be moving forward," said spokeswoman Kim Goodwin. "We've been around 75 years. We want to continue to evolve."
The center now used on the Alexian Village campus was built 30 years ago. Institution-style layouts were the norm back then. But today's tech-savvy, independent seniors seek more of a homey, neighborhood feel.
"It's outdated. It won't meet the needs and expectations of the seniors today," Goodwin said. "Everything is about the newest technology."
The new nursing home is part of a $32 million renovation plan touching several parts of Alexian Village. After the new center's construction finishes, the old nursing home will be converted to 42 assisted living apartments.
The Catholic senior services organization also plans to convert the former Signal Mountain Inn into 13 independent living apartments.
As of February, the rehabilitation center was 88 percent occupied. The organization expects occupancy to rise following the completion of the new facility.
The senior care market is trending upward, according to projections in the organization's state application. In 2011, Alexian estimated an unmet demand of 587 nursing home beds. The company expects that to shoot up to 743 beds by 2015.