Published: November 30, 2009 09:46 am      

18 nursing homes receive grants for improvements

Sunday, November 29, 2009 — Eighteen North Carolina Nursing Homes are receiving grant funds starting this fall to improve facilities to the benefit of their residents. Improvements range from outdoor gardens that are wheelchair accessible to bistros and ice cream parlors.

The two year grants are financed by fees paid to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by homes that have been cited for deficiencies in the provision of services under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA). The goal is to help de-institutionalize the care setting while providing enhancements that residents can enjoy. Fifty-two applications were screened by a selection committee to determine the winning proposals.

“The grant efforts help facilities achieve our goal of having the best nursing homes,” said Becky Wertz, grant contract administrator for the Nursing Home Licensure and Certification Section of the Division of Health Service regulation. “It is a good feeling to know our residents benefit from these culture changes.”

Grant winners are required to develop a method for monitoring the effects of the improvements on the facility's residents and staff, and for sustaining the projects after grant funds are spent. The grant selection process is run jointly by the Division of Health Service Regulation's Nursing Home Licensure and Certification Section and the N.C. Coalition for Long-Term Care Enhancement.

“We are excited about the number of applicants this year and their desire to promote culture change in nursing homes by enhancing the environment,” said Leslie Jarema, chairperson of the coalition.

Here are the grant winners, a brief project description and the amount:

• Autumn Care of Drexel, outdoor garden area, $24,000

• Blowing Rock Hospital Long-Term Care, outdoor activity and garden area, $12,794

• Brian Center of Lexington, aviaries, $9,085

• Capital Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of Raleigh, aviary, wheel chair height gardening, $13,377

• Century Care of Cherryville, enhanced bathing, $15,200

• Croasdale Village of Durham, It's Never2Late(IN2N) adaptive computer system, $18,845

• Davis Health Care of Wilmington, transform special care unit into a resident centered area, $11,800

• Highland Farms Retirement Community of Black Mountain, courtyard $24,000

• Longleaf Neuro-Medical Treatment Center of Wilson, convert off-unit space for multiple activities including theater and games space $24,000

• Lutheran Home, Albemarle, patio, pergola ice cream parlor, $24,000

• Lutheran Home Hickory, bistro, $24,000

• Lutheran Home Hickory West, outdoor recreation area, $23,307

• Lutheran Home Trinity Oaks, 1N2N adaptive computer system $24,000

• Lutheran Home Winston Salem,1N2N adaptive computer system, $22,500

• Mary Gran Nursing Center of Clinton, L.I.F.E. (Living Is For Everyone) —multi purpose activity room, $20,041

• Pisgah Manor Health Care Center of Candler, enhanced dining, $8,729

• St. Joseph of the Pines of Southern Pines, 1N2N adaptive computer system, and horticultural therapy,$23,995

• White Oak Manor, Rutherfordton, courtyard,$10,988