Goodwin House to Construct 24-Hour Nursing Care Facility on Alexandria Campus

RENDERING courtesy of Goodwin House Alexandria

___________

Goodwin House Alexandria retirement community Thursday announced that construction has started on a new building on their Alexandria campus that will offer residents a 24-hour nursing care program. The building is part of a two-year construction process to expand the residential offerings at Goodwin House Alexandria.

Goodwin House Alexandria is located at 4800 Fillmore Ave. (see map below).

“Breaking ground on this property epitomizes the Goodwin House vision of expanding the places and ways we serve older adults in communities,” said Kathy Anderson, president and CEO of Goodwin House, in a news release announcing the addition. “Our growth is directly linked to the unique needs of our resident to ensure their comfort, safety and optimal health.”

• Also read: Alexandria City Council Approves New Memory Care Center

The new building will be home to residents who can no longer live independently and need to transition into an environment that offers more advanced nursing care, assisted living support and meal preparation, according to Goodwin House.

“When we welcome residents into our Goodwin House communities, they are healthy, independent and active,” continued Anderson. “But as health declines and needs change, we want to be able to provide a fluid transition into an area of our campus that matches the high quality of service and personal attention people have come to expect while living at Goodwin House.”

The opportunity to expand the Alexandria campus came by way of the City’s Beauregard Small Area Plan, which provided rezoning options for the business and residential area surrounding Goodwin House Alexandria.

“The rezoning opportunity could not have come at a better time,” stated Harry Baldwin, Goodwin House Alexandria executive director. “Our campus was at maximum capacity and we knew current residents, as well as future residents, would greatly benefit from the expansion of housing offering 24-hour nursing care, personalized service and enhanced privacy.”

A Goodwin House Committee made up of Board Members, staff and residents worked closely with Advanced Project Management and Perkins Eastman Architects to create a master plan that challenges the typical “nursing home” care model, Goodwin House noted. Privacy, choice, individuality, safety and security, and enjoyment are some of the guiding principles that are honored in this new model, the company said.

Driven by the philosophy “Creating Home,” the new 5-story building will have nine small “houses,” each with private bedrooms, a living room, dining room, den, and fully-accessible kitchen where all meals will be prepared. Direct-care staff, also referred to as ”care partners,” will be trained as certified nursing assistants and will work with residents in assisting with their holistic needs. The ratio of care partners to residents will be one staff to five residents, which is dramatically higher than the direct care ratios found in traditional nursing facilities.

The first floor will include a new Memory Support program, licensed as assisted living through the Department of Social Services. This house will be dedicated to serving individuals with memory impairment who may also have a tendency to wander. This house will also feature a secure outdoor wandering garden area.

“We believe this new care model is better for both physical and social stimulation,” stated Colleen Ryan Mallon, vice president of marketing and mission expansion with Goodwin House. “This new health care program is another step in our care spectrum and allows Goodwin House to continue to fulfill our mission of supporting, honoring and uplifting the lives of older adults and the people who care for them.”