Given what our industry has experienced in the last few years . . . the easy road would've been to wring our hands and cut services . . . . We concluded now is not the time to shy away from meeting the needs of people who want quality services.
Boca Raton, FL (PRWEB) October 22, 2013
At the same time many nursing homes are severely trimming services because of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement cuts, Regents Park of Boca Raton is undergoing an aggressive expansion — largely to accommodate the aging baby boomer generation accustomed to an active lifestyle and in search of quality rehabilitation after knee or hip replacements, back surgeries or illnesses.
The expansion includes room renovations that will add 20 beds for short-term rehab patients to the Florida-based facility, an addition of a second gym exclusively for occupational therapy, and expansion of the center’s Respiratory Therapy Department to an around-the-clock operation.
“The people we’re seeing more and more are often those who had elective surgeries and want more than home healthcare so they can get back on their feet as quickly as possible,” said Gilda Osborn, administrator of the skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility.
“Baby boomers are living longer and they’re a lot more active than previous generations,” Osborn added. “They want to get back on the golf course or tennis court, travel, stay active in volunteer work, or just keep working, even into their late 70s. It just made sense for us to expand so we could meet their expectations.”
Osborn said Regents Park did its homework before launching into an expansion effort. She cited as one example data from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that shows the number of people under 65 getting knee replacements tripled between 1997 and 2009 alone — a trend that continues.
“Baby boomers represent approximately 25 percent of the population,” said Osborn. “The oldest are about 67 now. But what we’ve found in South Florida is that people even in their 50s are seeking these services. Given what our industry has experienced in the last few years because of changes mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, the easy road would’ve been to wring our hands and then cut services and staff. But we viewed it differently than most nursing homes, and what we concluded is that now is not a time to shy away from meeting the needs of people who want quality services.”
As part of its expansion, the 180-bed Regents Park Boca, which also accommodates long-term care residents, has additionally installed in every patient room and office the Novaerus Airborne Infection Control system. The award-winning system provides filterless units about 12 inches tall and 8 inches wide that use plasma sterilization technology to significantly eliminate viruses and germs responsible for the flu, respiratory infections, E-coli, tuberculosis, mold spores, MRSA and more.
The facility also had a free app developed for iPhones and Android smartphones so that patients’ families and friends could instantly keep up with happenings at the facility, quickly access Regents Park Boca Raton's YouTube channel, or even directly ask the administrator questions.
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