Baptist Health has secured funding to broaden its scope of care through a new assisted living facility a half-mile from its existing operations.
The Schenectady County Capital Resource Corporation recently approved issuing $14.4 million in bonds to finance Baptist Health System’s expansion in Glenville, which includes building a new 67-unit assisted living facility. Its subsidiary, Baptist Health Charitable Housing, will own the proposed building at 7 Swaggertown Road. The facility will have a combination of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and semi-private units, and is planned to accommodate 72 people.
“For many years Baptist Health System has wanted to expand its long-term care services to seniors in the community,” company President Tim Bartos said in a prepared statement. “We are excited that this project is coming to fruition and that our community will have these services available to them.”
The Town of Glenville has already approved the project, which has been developed over the last two years. The project is expected to create 35 new jobs outside of construction related work. An April groundbreaking is expected.
Ruth Tietz, director of marketing and development for Baptist, said, “We have done a lot of legwork behind the scenes.”
Tietz said the company did marketing studies on the need for the facility locally. While there are other facilities within the county, she said there was a need within the town.
“There is a real need in the community for assisted living right here in Glenville,” she said. “It opens up opportunities for folks that want to have some independence.”
There is a waiting list.
“For anyone who has to maintain a home there is so much that go into that,” Tietz said. “As we get older, ideally we want to spend more time doing things that we enjoy.”
Assisted living residents would also have access to the nearby Baptist Health Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, at 297 North Ballston Ave., which provides long- and short-term comprehensive care. She said the new facility would expand a “continuum of care” for Baptist.
She said some patients at the rehabilitation center need to make adjustments to their level of care, but skilled nursing offered at the center is too much. The new facility would offer a basic care package providing three daily meals, scheduled transportation, weekly light housekeeping and bathing assistance, among other services. Higher level of care packages would also be available.
Ten residents living at the facility would be reimbursed under The New York State Assisted Living Program (ALP), which is a Medicaid financed program for those qualified for Medicaid Nursing Home Care.
Baptist owns a large parcel of land at the site, totaling over 40 acres, and is considering the possibility of building independent senior cottages in the future.
The Schenectady County Legislature established the CRC in 2010 to help non-profit organizations access tax-exempt bonds for large capital construction projects. The bonds are repaid in full by the borrower, with no obligation to the County or the CRC. Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority administers the CRC.
