Glen Haven Village project will be focus of public meeting

Glenwood-area residents are encouraged to attend a public meeting concerning the proposed $3.2 million Glen Haven Village project and capital campaign on Tuesday, July 12, 7 p.m., in the fellowship hall at Trinity Lutheran Church, located at Second and Locust St.

The meeting will be an opportunity for residents to learn more about the project and get their questions answered. There will be a legacy quilt auction and refreshments and hors’ d’oeuvres will be served.

“Glen Haven Home was built in 1964 by community members who saw a need for a nursing home to take care of those in need of skilled nursing care in Glenwood. It has served the community’s need for many years, but it is worn out,” Glen Haven Board of Directors vice chair Larry Raabe said. “It has mostly semi-private rooms that share a bathroom with another semi-private room. The two-story facility has a single elevator which transports residents from the main to lower level for each meal. There is no dedicated rehabilitation space or memory (Alzheimer’s) unit in the building.”

The proposed Glen Haven Village would replace the present Glen Haven home with seven renovated cottages on the Glenwood Resource Center (GRC) campus which would be leased from the state of lowa, providing homelike accommodations for 82 residents. There will be one cottage (10 to 12 residents) specifically for memory care and another cottage that can accommodate 10 residents needing short-term rehabilitation. Each cottage will have at least 10 private rooms with their own bathroom. The cottages will be set up much like a private residence with their own kitchens and dining areas all on one level.

The GRC will provide dietary, laundry, and maintenance services and residents will have access to the campus chapel and hydro-therapy pool on the campus.

“This facility will afford southwest lowa residents a pleasant, homelike atmosphere close to their homes, reducing the flow of residents to care facilities outside the Glenwood area,” Raabe said.  “lt will provide employment to 125 caregivers who will be working in a homelike setting.”

The $3.2 million project cost will be funded by a USDA Rural Development loan and a community capital campaign.

“We recently announced a very generous gift from the Rod Rhoden Foundation which will match contributions to the capital campaign up to $500,000. In order to reach our fundraising goal of $1 million, we need to raise an additional $500,000 from the community capital campaign,” Raabe said.  “Glenwood has been presented with a fantastic opportunity to provide a first-class facility in which to care for community members needing skilled nursing care. It will take the entire community working together to make this plan succeed.”
At this time, $80,000 has been pledged toward the Glen Haven Village capital campaign.