WORCESTER — What becomes “home” for those facing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease can be a confusing place, particularly when it is no longer the familiar neighborhood where a person once lived.Dodge Park Rest Home co-owners Ben Herlinger and Micha Shalev know well what can be expected. They have set out to create a facility where life, not only for residents but also for the families who come to visit, is safe and serene.”We offer a very unique quality of care in a very unique setting,” Mr. Shalev said during a recent interview.
The $14.6 million, 61,920-square-foot rest home, which will be called Oasis of Dodge Park, will be the first in Massachusetts to meet all of the requirements to be called dementia care by the Department of Public Health since regulations were changed. It will be on 4.5 acres on Randolph Road, across the street from the Dodge Park Rest Home, on the site of the former Odd Fellows Home building.
Various architectural styles for the facility were weighed before reaching a final decision.
“We chose a single-story rather than a two-story design,” Mr. Herlinger said. “Even though the two stories would have provided more beds, we didn’t want to be like everybody else. We wanted to be different.”
At the same time, he said, the developers were mindful of meeting specifications. “When you are doing this work, you always keep in mind the demographics and culture as well as the cost. You are dealing with an industry that is heavily regulated and you need to keep that in mind,” he said.
Both Mr. Shalev and Mr. Herlinger are no strangers to residential health care facility management for the elderly. Prior to their new project, they designed and operated seven previous rest homes in California before coming to Worcester in 2007 with their families. In creating a vision for the new facility, the partners looked at numerous artists’ renderings before the final selection.
“We had something in mind, but when we started planning, it slowly evolved until it got to this,” Mr. Herlinger said of the plan, created by architect Levi Wong of Concord.
The design blends the indoors with the outdoors through natural lighting, and includes modern amenities. Mr. Shalev’s expertise as one of only a few certified dementia care managers in Massachusetts was influential in the selection and approval of appropriate colors and designs for the building interior based on the profile of its future residents.
“The colors and design, including the furniture fabric, should not be confusing but mellow and relaxing. There is a good deal of off-white with shades of green and burgundy being used. It will be a very well-lighted environment designed to create a calming effect,” Mr. Shalev said.
The interior of the building will also feature two courtyards with heated floors, one in each of the two phases of the facility, as well as amenities such as a greenhouse and dining and living areas with full-length windows that face the outdoors.
Mr. Shalev identified specifically the purpose and need for light to be present in and around the facility. “Most of our residents suffer from ‘sundowning,’ which means they can become agitated by the sun going down each day. That’s why it is very important for them to have exposure to natural light as much as possible,” he said.
The movement of residents within the facility will be closely monitored through a specially designed wristband tracking system that provides the maximum amount of freedom possible based on the needs of each individual resident. Family support groups and regular community involvement will also be offered along with a variety of activities, services and programs.
Outside within the surrounding grounds, green space will be available including barbecue and picnic sites, walking paths and even a playground for children who come to visit family members.
Plans call for breaking ground at the beginning of August, with an opening date of July 1, 2015, scheduled for phase one. This first phase will include available space for 50 residents with an additional 32 spaces available when the second phase is completed. Phase one will provide employment for more than 70 staff members trained by Mr. Shalev specifically in the care of dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. “Worcester has lost many rest home beds in the past. The additional beds are much needed for our community,” Mr. Herlinger said.
“We wanted to have a place where elderly people with dementia and Alzheimer’s could live their final years with love, care and dignity,” he said. “The scenery will makes them feel good and will make the families feel good to come there.”
