The dreary weather on April 18 did nothing to dampen the spirits of developers and residents of Keystone Villa at Douglassville Personal Care, 1152 Benjamin Franklin Highway, during the groundbreaking ceremony for its fourth expansion.
Land has already been cleared and construction trucks are parked on the site ready to begin the large goundbreaking for the expansion of the Personal Care residence by 38,000 square feet.
Developers Tim Little, president, Hollenbach Construction Company, Boyertown, and James Hollenbach, vice president, said the three story addition will be constructed in eight to nine months.
General Partner James Elliott said Phase IV will employ an additional 14 full time staff for its first shift and a total of 36 when the facility is fully occupied.
When the expansion is finished, the number of apartments in the Personal Care building will increase from 83 to 125.
The new space will accommodate three programs: Personal care, Enhanced Personal Care, and Secured Memory Care.
Developers said Enhanced Personal Care is an alternative to nursing home care and offers additional supportive services for residents who need a higher level of assistance.
The Secured Memory Care program also expands the number of apartments available for residents with memory impairments and is ‘dedicated to providing an atmosphere that promotes independence, dignity, privacy, and personal choice.’
‘The difference is not in the services that we provide, but in the human approach that we take when we are delivering those services: a smile, a friendly greeting, a hug, a word of encouragement and time to listen,’ said Chris Henderson, regional director of operations.
Henderson said it is Keystone’s high occupancy, combined with a waiting list of individuals ready to move in, initiated the expansion of Keystone Villa at Douglassville Personal Care.
The Personal Care unit opened in June 2009 and is adjacent to the Keystone Villa at Douglassville Independent Living that opened in 2004.
Residents at Keystone can move from building to building as their health care needs change.
‘We’re building more than a building,’ said Elliott. ‘We’re building a community for seniors to live in, a place where they can feel secure, where they can meet new friends, where they can stay active.’