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By the numbers:
$5 million — Estimated cost of renovation
$1.5 million — Cost of Vancrest renovation in Urbana
3 years — Expected time frame before merger is complete
Vancrest Health Care Centers has started work on for a roughly $5 million expansion that will lead to the merger of two New Carlisle facilities as demand for skilled nursing centers is expected to increase.
Last year the health care company also completed a $1.5 million upgrade at its Urbana property.
Demolition began last week on the New Carlisle project, which will include a roughly 35,000-square-foot expansion at the Dayview Care Center. Once complete, the addition will allow it to take in residents from Belle Manor Nursing Home, also in New Carlisle
The Belle Manor site is expected to be turned over to New Carlisle for its city offices.
Demand for nursing homes is expected to increase in the coming decades as the population ages, a 2013 report from the Congressional Budget Office shows.
Residents 65 and older made up about a sixth of the U.S. population in 2010, the report says, but that’s expected to climb to a fourth of the population by 2030. Between 2030 and 2050, residents 85 and older — those considered most in need of care — is expected to climb from about 3 percent of the population to about 5 percent.
As much as 25 percent of Clark County residents are 60 and older and that’s expected to grow to about 30 percent in the next decade, said Maureen Fagans, executive director of United Senior Services.
“It’s just a huge number,” Fagans said. “We’re not unique. That’s happening across the state and in fact the impact in some more rural counties is even more significant. It’s a pretty staggering statistic for Ohio and Clark County.”
The new center will be called Vancrest of New Carlisle once it’s completed. It will take some time for the entire project to be complete, including eventually transferring Belle Manor residents into the renovated facility, Administrator Shari Folker said. Construction crews were at Dayview on Monday preparing the ground for the project.
“Three years for the whole project to be done is kind of where we are at,” Folker said.
New Carlisle city officials are expected to review the project’s site plan at a planning board meeting Thursday, Interim City Manager Randy Bridge said. That will include reviewing setbacks, parking and other issues. He declined to provide further comment until the planning board has a chance to review the final proposal.
The merger won’t lead to job losses at either facility. Once complete, it’s possible the company could hire more staff to operate the larger facility, Folker said, but it’s too early to say how many new employees might be needed.
The initial project will include adding 31 assisted living units to the existing Dayview facility. Space will also be cleared for additional units.
Dayview has about 50 beds now, Folker said, and when the project is complete it will have about 88 beds. Of those, about 16 will be used for skilled rehabilitation.
During construction Belle Manor residents will continue to be served at that location.
“Everything is business as usual until the campus is big enough to bring everyone over,” Folker said.
Overall, Vancrest operates 14 sites throughout Ohio. The business has recently upgraded other properties in the region as well.
Last year it finished construction on a roughly $1.5 million renovation at its facility in Urbana, a 15,000 square-foot addition that added 25 assisted living apartments. The company has owned that site since 2008, when it took over control from Champaign County officials.
Both the renovations in Urbana and the recent upgrades at the New Carlisle facility are in line with Vancrest’s business model, Folker said. The company has a history of serving rural areas, he said, and often buys existing facilities that it improves to make them more attractive for residents.
The interior of the New Carlisle facility will receive an upgrade as well. Once complete, it will look similar to the Urbana site and include a library, beauty shop, lounge and dining area for residents.
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