Cottage Grove Place

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Cottage Grove Place was challenged with not having enough skilled nursing beds to accommodate its increasing population. The existing Long Term Care Unit was not large enough to house the constantly expanding independent living population and Cottage Grove could see a need for providing a quieter dementia area to benefit residents with specific needs. The solution was to add a $4 million addition that increases their current skilled nursing bed count by 24, and also provides 12 less stimulating dementia beds for its residents. Cottage Grove Place had made a commitment to its residents that the new addition would add more private skilled nursing rooms. However, the site wouldn’t allow for a typical private room layout, so a new, flexible private/semi-private room plan was developed by Shive-Hattery to satisfy their needs.

The rooms are designed to provide privacy similar to a private room, with a wardrobe separating the beds and each resident having his or her own window and defined private space, but share a restroom. The cabinetry allows each resident to have their own television and a mixture of enclosed storage and open shelving for the display of personal items. The semi-private flexibility of the space also allows for the cabinetry to be rearranged allowing for a more interactive environment if desirable. Other amenities added to the skilled nursing area are a larger, more open dining area as well as an activity room, informal lounge, screened-in porch and exterior patio area.

Cottage Grove Place also recognized that some of its residents would benefit from a less stimulating, more secure environment. A 12 bed dementia care area was added for this purpose. The care area is focused around a common room space, which has a dining area, a small kitchen and living area. The residents all have private rooms overlooking another exterior patio area on the lower level that is accessed through the dementia common room. Another lounge was added opposite the common room to provide a quiet, private space as well as to serve as a destination at the end of the resident room corridor.

Other areas added to the project include a new physical therapy area with natural clerestory lighting, as well as a beauty shop that will be located at the main level entrance for use by the independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing residents. The community’s continuing care emphasis allows residents whose care needs increase with age to move from independent living units to assisted living units or skilled nursing beds as needed.