Barry L. Paschal
University Health Care Systems Friday morning opened the doors to The Windsor House, a new 25-suite assisted-living facility that will specialize in the care of residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
No residents are moving in just yet, however, as staffers undergo specialized training while awaiting state licensing for the unique facility.
Construction on the $5 million project started in November 2011 on six acres adjacent to the Brandon Wilde campus in Evans, and initially was planned as a personal care home, said Brandon Wilde President and CEO Rich Kisner. When state legislation passed last year creating the designation of assisted living communities, the project was “upgraded” and now awaits that new level of licensing before welcoming residents.
“We’ve got staff who are excited to come up and start working,” said Jennie Phillips, director of assisted living for Brandon Wilde. “I’m just excited to get things going and get folks moved in.” Enhanced training for those staffers will include dementia care, medication delivery and security, Kisner said.
“We wanted some time to make sure that we were able to work out every possible glitch that we might have run into, and make sure that we had a safe environment for residents,” Kisner said. “When you’re dealing with an Alzheimer’s/dementia population, safety becomes a very, very high priority. We wanted to make sure that everything was completed and behind us.”
All 25 suites have small kitchenettes, private bathrooms and showers, Phillips said. The facility has a spa and a physician’s exam room, along with small, secure private courtyards and a large community courtyard.
“The beauty of this facility is it represents the next step in state-of-the-art care for residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia,” he said. “It is intended to be a home-like environment, and it augments the step of moving away from institutional care to home-like care.”
The Windsor House name comes from Brandon Wilde resident Stella Windsor Grandin, donated $1 million for the facility in memory of her parents, Alexander and Ruth Windsor, who were among Brandon Wilde’s first residents in 1990.
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