New facility to offer care for Alzheimer's patients
By Steve Herring
Published in News on November 8, 2011 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MICHAEL BETTS
Executive director of Countryside Village Tracy Smith, right, talks to Nellie Fuller about Ms. Fuller's new room in the memory care facility in Pikeville. It is being converted from an assisted living facility.
PIKEVILLE -- A $325,000 construction project to convert the former Countryside Assisted Living facility into Wayne County's only free-standing Alzheimer's community is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving, with residents possibly moving in by Christmas.
Renamed Countryside Village, plans include the construction of the area's largest secured outdoor courtyard with walking trails, raised gardens and a fountain as the centerpiece.
In addition, the interior has been redesigned to better serve residents with memory loss disorders with open activity and dining spaces. New furniture and flooring will be installed throughout the facility. All doors will be secured with a keypad entrance/exit system.
Bateman Investment Group, LLC, headed by Goldsboro native Mike Bateman, purchased Countryside Living Assisted Living in August from Northern Wayne Investors.
The 12-year-old community is currently licensed for 40 assisted living residents by the Department of Health Service Regulation. Bateman's group also owns and operates Croatan Village, a 72-bed assisted living and Alzheimer's community located in New Bern.
Tracy Smith has been named the new executive director of Countryside Village. Mrs. Smith resides in Pikeville and brings experience in senior housing operations, Bateman said.
Special activity programs will be implemented to maximize the quality of life for each resident and the staff will receive additional training related to the care of individuals with Alzheimer's to better serve these residents, he said. A primary care provider will offer services on-site to serve residents in their familiar settings, which will reduce the stress on each resident.
"One of the things that we will do a little differently from other communities or assisted living facilities is that they are not required to have a registered nurse," Bateman said. "We are going to hire a nurse to be the health care coordinator. A doctor and nurse practitioner will be on-site weekly. That is a little unique."
Having the medical personnel at the facility will make it more convenient for the residents since they will not have to be taken to a doctor's office where they sometimes have to wait an hour or longer before they are seen, he said.
The facility is expected to have a staff of 40 to 45 full-time and part-time employees.
Most of the residents are expected to be from Wayne County, Bateman said.