NURSING CARE FOR VETERANS
The State of West Virginia has determined a need exists for Nursing Care for Veterans. Senate Bill 1005 during the 2001 Legislative Session authorized the sale of revenue bonds to support the State of West Virginia's 35% share of construction costs. Total estimated costs would be around 26 million dollars with 16 million dollars being provided by the federal Veterans Affairs Administration. The selling of the Veterans scratch off lottery tickets is providing the states matching monies. Architectural designs have been completed and groundbreaking ceremonies were held on October 13, 2003. The construction contract was awarded to G A Brown General Contractors. The official start date of construction was April 12, 2004.The completion and opening of the Nursing Home is scheduled for May 2006. The hiring procedures for staff of the nursing home will begin in January 2006. Tom McGraw has been employed as the nursing home Executive Director.
The facility will be the first veterans nursing home built in West Virginia to be located on 5.5 acres of land given to the State of West Virginia by the Veterans Administration on the Louis A. Johnson VAMC Clarksburg campus. Unique in design, it will be attached to Louis A. Johnson Hospital for heating, cooling and other services, yet be a separate facility owned and operated by the State of West Virginia through the Division of Veterans Affairs.
The Nursing Home will be a 120-bed facility with 30 beds designated for Alzheimer patients. The cost for operating this special Alzheimer wing will be significant, yet we believe the need for this type of specialized care is justified by the sacrifices made by our veterans for the freedoms that we all enjoy.
Special attention is being given to the design of the Nursing Home so that it will be open with lots of natural light and will not appear to be a nursing home in the traditional perception of nursing homes with each room designed to have a homey atmosphere but also equipped to be functional in case of a medical emergency.
Veteran organizations will be given the opportunity to adopt any or all of the 10 common areas to provide fixtures and recreational items for use by the patients.
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