SWVC Description
Act 188 of 1992 provided the mechanism to operate the Southwestern Veterans Center. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs transferred 10.5 acres to the Department of Military Affairs on February 11, 1994. Ground was broken on May 19, 1995. The building was dedicated by Governor Ridge on July 14, 1997, and the first resident was admitted November 7, 1997.
The center is comprised of 32 domiciliary/personal care beds and 204 nursing care beds, including a 44-bed dementia unit, for a total of 236 beds.
The second, third, and fourth floors house the resident units. The second floor, divided into two wings, houses the domiciliary veterans and an Alzheimer's Care Unit. The second floor units include outdoor patios.
The resident bedrooms are semi-private rooms and more in the aspect of a small studio apartment than a traditional nursing care room. Two semi-private rooms share a full bathroom and shower. Each bedroom features a floor-to-ceiling bay window affording a variety of views.
Outside the resident rooms there are a variety of lounge, dining, and activity rooms, as well as nourishment centers and laundry rooms. Niches for benches, artwork, telephones, and wheelchair parking break up the hallways between wings. Nursing control is maximized for efficiency and control, with the placement of nursing stations at the crossing of the intersecting wings.
The major difference in the types of residency is the level of care.
Personal care/domiciliary care provides food and shelter, medical and nursing care, ancillary therapeutic services, and recreational activities. These residents reside in a supervised, protective environment. When needed, assistance is provided for eating, bathing, shaving, and other activities of daily living which do not require constant nursing care.
The nursing unit provides 24-hour care, seven days a week. Residents receive a complete range of clinical services under the direction of physicians and other licensed health care professionals.
In addition to the other services, the dementia specialty unit provides long-term care in a safe and secure environment.
Additional services of a specialized nature, such as mental health services, podiatry, and speech/audiology therapy, are provided as necessary to maintain a resident's quality of life.
Health care delivery support services include physicians' services, drug therapy, 24-hour medical support, and physical, recreational, occupational, and speech therapy. Dental, podiatry, x-ray, and lab services are provided through contracted vendors.
