NYS Veterans’ Home

Back to Progress 2008 Listing

by: Jill Kraft

As construction continues and the anticipated date of completion nears, New York State Veterans’ Home administrators and residents are eagerly awaiting a big move.

The move refers to the re-construction and relocation of the Veterans’ Home, the third major project of this sort at the site since it opened in April 1897.

Executive Director of the skilled nursing facility Sally Venugopalan says the residents and staff members have been excited about the new building. “It will mean great things to the facility and the level of care we offer,” she said.

The facility, which contains 242 residential rooms and employs approximately 306 individuals, is designed to meet all the needs of veterans and their dependents within a skilled nursing home environment. From a full hair salon to occupational and residential therapy services, to a restaurant style dining room and entertainment room – complete with a stage – Venugopalan says the residents are supplied with community activities while living at the home. “It makes us more unique than other facilities,” said Venugopalan. “We have everything right here.”

Currently the facility offers seven residential units called Oak, Hawthorn, Maple, Pine, Apple, Spruce and Sprapple. Each unit is equipped with a small dining room, nurses’ station, private rooms and adjoining bathrooms. Pine is currently a secured unit for residents suffering from Alzheimer’s who have severe dementia. Upon the completion of the new building, the Alzheimer’s unit will be known as the memory care unit and remain secure.

The new building project, totaling approximately $66,293,002, which broke ground in June of 2006, has been the main focus for the past year and will remain a major focus for the remainder of 2008, says Venugopalan. “It has been a lot of planning and implementing.”

“The new building will provide a home-like design with private rooms, with individual baths, the Internet, televisions, spacious unit dining rooms and a main street concept with all therapies shops and activities along a wide country cottage design,” said Venugopalan. “We are not building the new facility for just today, we are building it for future residents as well.”

Venugopalan says planning for the future was important, and it was the entire concept for the re-build and construction. Therefore, the concept was created by input from both residents and staff.

The new home will be fully-equipped with the Internet as well as flat screen televisions and other high-tech aspects that do not exist at the current location.

Veterans home employee Melissa Aldrich says she has worked for the facility for eight years and the idea of having more advanced technology for both the staff and the residents sounds like a smart one. “The lifts alone will be easier to manage in the residents rooms and better on the backs of the employees,” she said.

Venugopalan says the entire move currently is scheduled to take place in October. “We are hoping to move all the residents in a single day,” she said. As for moving the 242 room contents, as well as the rest of the facility, she is going to reach out to the community at large for numerous volunteers to help out.

As for the fate of the building the home is currently located in, Venugopalan says final plans are being formed in Albany, but are not complete.

Along with maintaining construction, Venugopalan says the past year was busy at the facility. The facility remains at a 99 percent occupancy level, a percentage that Venugopalan says has always kept steady and the waiting list is still active. Along with the hundreds of residents permanently residing at the facility, there are residents who are admitted for rehabilitation purposes as well.

Maintaining the guidelines for safety, protocol and medical services, the Veterans home prides itself on offering their residents the best in health care services. In doing so, the state of New York is persistent on ensuring and maintaining the highest level of care is being given at the facility. Venugopalan announced during the annual deficiency finding survey, the Veterans home was found to be deficiency free. “This means a lot to us and to our staff,” she said.

Venugopalan says entertaining the residents is a major component of the Vets Home. Along with church services, art and crafts, card games, singing and other indoor activities, residents are given the chance to take a stroll outside during the yearly car show and cruise-in each summer which brings back the oldies but goodies, as well as food and other entertainment for residents to enjoy. This year, like many in the past, approximately 200 or more people came to take part in the summertime event, which means so much to the residents, Venugopalan says.

Back to Progress 2008 Listing