More than $8 million in improvements were unveiled at Kingsway Arms Nursing Center and Kingsway Manor Assisted Living on Thursday, June 10, with a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring 4- to 5-year-olds of the Kingsway Kids Center singing The More We Sing Together for 100 guests.
The 58,000 square foot expansion took two years to complete and reduces the amount of semi-private rooms that have two people per room. This allows for a majority of private one-person rooms. With 38 private rooms added to the first floor nursing center, there will be a 134 private rooms out of 160.
`We needed the space to accommodate our current residents,` said Jean Barnoski, Kingsway’s director of marketing. `It is gorgeous ` it is really, really beautiful.`
All rooms have in the new nursing center wing have wall-mounted flat screen TVs and locking medicine cabinets to remove the need for medicine carts. Also, spaces for physical therapy and occupational therapy are expanded.
Even modern video game consoles are present in physical therapy. The wall-mounted Wii system, which requires users to move with controls in hand, helps promote gaining strength and range of motion.
A full kitchen is present in the occupational therapy room to assist in the move back home. If a dip in a cutting edge spa tub sounds good, residents can also take advantage of this amenity. It includes a chair to securely guide the bather into the tub that fills in 90 seconds.
Within a few weeks, said Barnoski, residents should be moving into the first floor addition. A certificate of occupancy and a final inspection is still needed.
`Our customers expect the best and this addition delivers,` said Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Michael McPartlon in a statement. `We are grateful to the many people who worked so hard to bring this project to completion.`
While the assisted living center on the second floor added 20 apartments featuring walk-in closets, linen closets, large windows and sliding bathroom doors. There are also many new common areas including a lounge, dining room, kitchen, personal laundry room and an expanded beauty salon. Also, an added activity room features a rear-projection movie system with a 10-foot drop-down screen.
Although no new beds have been added to the second floor, after the Memory Care Center is completed, projected by the end of the year, 20 beds will be added.“
