Any visit to Homestead Village these days reveals projects underway all around our campus. One project that is nearing completion is the Apostles Center additions. This project is actually many different projects including:
- Four Private Rooms in Radcliffe House
- Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen and spa for the new, fifteen bed Young House
- An expanded therapy room
- a port cochere (car port) at the Plow and Pineapple entrance
- New roofs for the Apostles Center building and the Westvue Building
- An expansive, secure courtyard for Gelhard House with a gazebo
- A secure courtyard for Young House
- A covered porch and patio for Radcliffe House
- A new gazebo for the Apostles Center courtyard entrance
- A new stairwell for easier access to the fitness center, pool and accounting.
Each improvement adds to the enjoyment for the persons served in that area; but the total of all the changes will have a dramatic impact on the overall quality of life in our community.
The new Apostles Center will feature three smaller houses. Fickes House features a home for 22 community members in 10 semi-private rooms and 2 private rooms. Radcliffe House will offer 7 private rooms and 7 semi-private rooms – a total of 21 beds. Young House will focus on memory support services and offer 3 private rooms and 6 private rooms. The smaller houses will create a more homelike, less institutional lifestyle.
The therapy space will be double the size and help us help our short term rehabilitation residents return to home more quickly. It will also improve the access to therapy for residents seeking outpatient services.
One major change that has been pointed out is that a number of entrance doors that were regularly used are no longer available. How will residents, family members, visitors and other stakeholders come and go? The answer is actually quite simple and both access and security will be improved. Radcliffe House and Fickes House will have two entrances. The courtyard-like main entrance will feature a new Gazebo and expanded outdoor sitting options. The alternative entrance will be at the Plow and Pineapple covered entrance. This will be the preferred entrance for bus trips, ambulances and families dropping off or picking up residents. The Plow and Pineapple entrance with its automatic doors and covered drop-off will become a favorite entrance.
Gelhard House and Young House will feature their own entrance court and parking area. The Gelhard/Young House entrance court will also feature a new stairwell entrance to the ground floor and second floor of Westvue, allowing access to the fitness area, Novacare, accounting offices as well as the offices on the second floor.Both inside and out, the new Apostles Center will better serve our community.