This addition’s a natural fit

Villa St. Joseph is the newest addition to the Village at Marymount Continuing Care Community on the Marymount Campus in Garfield Heights, OH. The community, which is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, broke ground on the new 114-bed nursing and memory care center in 2005 and completed construction earlier this year. 

With the goal of having the least amount of environmental impact, the new three-story Villa St. Joseph was built into a ravine on the campus, instead of positioning the new building atop a hill. 

“We wanted to preserve green space as well as the park-like atmosphere of the campus,” explained Suzanne Nall, executive director of the Village at Marymount. “This allowed us to maintain the numerous walkways and paths throughout the campus, as well.”

An earth-friendly garden courtyard was created on a portion of the rooftop of the new building, Nall added.

“This way, when residents look out of their windows, they aren’t looking down on a plain roof but more green,” she noted.

While the $22 million project comprised 80,000 square feet, the goal was to expand and add useful resident spaces within the smallest footprint possible, Nall said.

To further minimize the impact on the environment, linoleum flooring made from cork was used throughout most of the Villa’s corridors, according to Dave DiFrancesco, principal with Herman, Gibans, Fodor Inc. Architects, Cleveland. Unlike other vinyl flooring, the cork-made linoleum flooring does not contain harmful volatile organic compounds, often called VOCs, he said. Plus, the flooring is softer than vinyl, which reduces fatigue, and it is low-maintenance, very durable and resistant to staining. Cork also is a rapidly renewable resource, DiFrancesco noted.

The indoor climate of the new building is managed by a heat recovery heating and air conditioning unit.This means the system  recaptures some of the air that is exhausted out of the building, filters it and recycles it back into the building, DiFrancesco explained. Because the recycled air is already tempered, it takes less energy to cool it or heat it, depending on the season, than it would the outdoor air, he said.

The new skilled nursing facility was conceived with attracting short-term rehabilitation business in mind, and Nall said there has been higher than expected short-term demand since opening.

Not including the 24-bed memory care unit at Villa St. Joseph, the average length of stay hovers around 20 days, she said. 

It is not unusual, Nall pointed out, for the therapy department to see 50 residents each day. In addition to the standard therapy features, such as mat tables, parallel bars and exercise equipment, the therapy room features whirlpool tubs, nautilus equipment and a high-tech ultrasound therapy machine. 

Also included in the therapy room are a washer and dryer and other homelike features. They allow occupational therapists to help residents “practice” daily activities of life they will need to perform upon being discharged to their homes or assisted living residences. 

The memory care unit consists of 12 assisted living residences and 12 skilled nursing rooms, all of which are private. Not only does this help preserve residents’ dignity but it also cuts down on agitation levels in this unique population, says Nall.

The memory care unit is completely enclosed for safety and includes a kitchen  that is separate from the rest of the facility. There are also two secure, enclosed courtyards.

Outside of the memory care unit, Villa features both private suites and partial-private suites, which share a wall and an in-room bath. The Villa also features a beautiful chapel and community room, an ice cream parlor and a beauty salon.