| Eldercare Project Moves Forward
Grace Cottage Hospital continues its commitment to elders in the West
River Valley. Since the closing of Grace Cottage’s nursing home, concerned
citizens, led by Grace Cottage board members and staff, have been
working to design and implement a comprehensive eldercare project, affiliated
with Grace Cottage.
- In the fall of 2002, a group of community members formed as the West
River Valley Eldercare Task Force. Their first task was to complete a
needs assessment. An overwhelming priority, as expressed by the community
members interviewed, was special needs housing for the elderly.
- Grace Cottage conducted similar work in 2002, when we explored expanding
the 14-bed Heins Home residential care home. The current site
was not ideal for the recommended 8-12 bed expansion. The possibility
of developing elderly housing off-site in or near Townshend was then
investigated.
- Representatives from Grace Cottage visited eldercare housing projects
throughout Vermont to determine what is being done successfully (or
not), and a market study of the West River Valley was conducted to
determine the need for independent senior housing and assisted living
with supportive services.
- In January, 2004, the task force and Grace Cottage sponsored a daylong
community retreat for discussion about special needs housing for
the elderly.
- Out of this retreat has grown a new group called Valley Cares, which is
continuing the work on the concept of senior housing in the West River
Valley, done by an original Valley Cares group that had begun years
ago and had informally disbanded.
- The group is working towards construction of 24 units of independent
senior housing and 28 units of assisted living, located on the same property,
if possible. About 75% of the independent living units and 50% of
the assisted living units would be targeted to very low-income elders.
Senior services, including the Valley Health Council, Adult Day services,
and a senior center would be located on this property as well.
- Over the past ten months, many properties for sale in “downtown” areas
of the West River Valley have been assessed for suitability. Engineering
and feasibility studies have been conducted on two properties
in Townshend (including the Kronemeyer property, detailed in the next
column). A planning grant from the Holt Fund has covered the costs of
the project to date.
- Valley Cares, with sponsorship from Grace Cottage, has applied for a
HUD 202 Elderly Housing with Supportive Services grant of $913,368
to cover a portion of construction costs. Notification will arrive in December.
The grant is essential for leveraging other public and private
funding. The majority of project funds would come through private and
public grants and investor equity. Once completed, the project would
pay taxes to the town of Townshend.
- Valley Cares would be affiliated with Grace Cottage Hospital, with several
board members on both boards. Any private fundraising would
flow through Grace Cottage Foundation. Project updates will appear
regularly in Cottage Door.
|
