Long-term rehab wing reopens at CCR&LC
The new wing built two years ago at the Clark County Rehabilitation & Living Center east of Owen may be the most eyecatching recent improvement, but there are other less noticeable upgrades taking place, too. A newly-remodeled long-term rehab care wing opened this week, in fact, and is another step CCR& LC is taking in its quest to modernize facilities.
The 1 West wing was set to take patients as of this Tuesday, with up-to-date private rooms awaiting those who may be staying several months at CCR& LC while they recover from surgery or take advantage of other longer term care rehabilitation services. The wing has been shut down for more than two years as crews took each room, one-by-one, and converted them from semi-private rooms with shared restrooms to private spaces that should attract more patients.
When the Clark County Board of Supervisors approved a $7.5 million construction project in 2018 ($5.5 million of that total was spent on the new wing), CCR& LC leaders also revealed plans to began upgrading portions of the overall complex, some of which date back to the early 1920s. The first unit designated for such an upgrade was 1 West.
The wing at one time housed patients who were staying short-term for rehab services, but those people were moved into brand new rooms when the new wing was built. That wing has a large, modern rehabilitation center, and patients from all areas of the complex can be served there.
The 1 West wing will now serve those patients who need a bit longer to recover from wounds, surgeries, etc.
According to Angela Greschner, the center’s director of social services, 1 West will likely see patients staying for three months or more. Some may then return home after their therapy needs have passed, or they may choose to move into a long-term room.
Greschner said the remodeled wing will make CCR& LC more attractive to people who need to stay under care for a while, but who have plans to return home.
“I think we’re finding, if people come for rehab, it doesn’t just mean a few weeks,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot more complexities than we did before.”
Prior to the remodeling project, the 1 West wing rooms were relics of a bygone day. All patients in the wing had to share a room with someone else, and restrooms (with no shower facilities) were shared between adjacent rooms. That created both privacy and sanitation issues.
Now, there are 12 private rooms on the wing, each with its own restroom and roll-in shower, and one double room for a couple. Greschner said they are the types of rooms patients demand, and will help the county-owned center attract clients who may have gone elsewhere.
“You want your own room. There’s a desire for privacy,” Greschner said. “This was just a much-needed facelift. We needed to get with the times.”
The renovated wing also has common areas for folks to relax, watch TV, and exit to an outdoor garden area. New kitchen facilities will handle meals for the wing, and short orders will be available for the residents.
As 1 West opens, crews have now moved upstairs to make the same improvements to rooms on 2 West. Hopefully, in about six months, Greschner said that wing will be ready, with better rooms for patients.
“This (1 West) was kind of the first step in bringing new life to the existing building,” she said. “This is just the beginning. We hope we can fill it up and the (county) Board gives its blessings (for more renovations).”
Greschner said the upgrade of CCR& LC’s rehab services and short- and long-term rehab patient rooms is accomplishing the overall goal of increasing the center’s revenue.
“It’s really opened up a wide range,” she said. “We’re getting a lot more local people.”
The rehab area is just one of a variety of services provided at CCR& LC. The largest population is in the center’s 172bed nursing home, but it also has the rehab area, a 16-bed unit for patients with developmental disabilities, an eight-bed Community-Based Residential Facility (CBRF) and an adult day service unit. It’s all part of the center’s attempt to meet as many patient needs as possible.
“We think of CCR& LC as a campus,” Greschner said. “It’s a campus where a lot of things happen.”
