The Kenney Continuing Care Retirement Community in West Seattle at 7125 Fauntleroy Way s.w. has begun the process of converting a 7000 square foot area of the facility into a new Memory support unit. The work will also include a 3600 square foot outdoor, enclosed area. The total construction cost for the work is expected to range from $150,000 to $175,000.
R. Kevin McFeely, President & Chief Executive Officer of The Kenney, said "We are proposing to renovate Garden Court, which is assisted living and convert it into a Memory Support Unit. It will accommodate 14 people and all the programming will be geared toward people dealing with dementia. We will have specially trained staff. It will be a secured unit and our goal is to open this area within the next six to eight months."
Units like this are not common and while a similar one exists elsewhere in West Seattle it is geared toward skilled nursing while The Kenney will provide more of a residential setting. The Kenney chose to license it with a boarding home license versus a skilled nursing license purposely to keep it more residential than clinical.
The new unit will mean 12 jobs since it is 24 hour care and includes weekends. These are "what is called a Universal Care Worker, " McFeely said, "people that will be assisting with their care needs, their dining needs, and housekeeping needs."
As it stands now, certain current residents of The Kenney qualify for this unit and will move to it once completed. McFeely pointed out that 8 people have had to leave The Kenney because they could not meet their memory support needs. "That's traumatic for families," he said. This new unit should address that issue.
Going forward they expect to have people now living on campus as well as direct admissions from outside the facility. This new unit however is not suited for what is called "respite care", providing therapy or assistance for people from outside The Kenney. It is strictly for residents.
The work will involve, "upgrading rooms, creating a new tub and spa area, sealing off that section of the building to create a secure area, relocating some people to different office space, relocating some residents and moving some walls," McFeely said. The process should go reasonably fast. "As we're converting an area, versus new construction it shortens the time, plus all the processes and permits you have to go through should be shortened to some degree."
Once the work is complete The Kenney will have an Open House to let the community and residents see the new space.
