text: Thornapple Manor – Eckert Wordell
  With nearly half a century of experience in providing skilled care to residents, Thornapple Manor recognized when their facility was no longer meeting the needs of residents and staff. The majority of residents were housed within four-bed wards. The size of these rooms compromised patient privacy and dignity. This large-scale renovation and expansion project was undertaken to provide staff with the means to deliver services efficiently and to increase the quality of life for residents.
  Two additions were attached to the ends of the existing building, housing four groups of resident rooms, with each group housing approximately 30 residents. The number of private rooms increased from approximately 11% to 70%, and was arranged so that every resident room is within 120 feet of a staff station. The remaining resident rooms are semiprivate, with the four-bed wards completely eliminated. The design allows staff to organize residents according to cognitive function; this provides the opportunity for social settings and activities appropriate to each group and promotes a greater sense of belonging and overall well-being for individual residents.
  Utilities, wander management, information systems, roofing, and parking were all upgraded to meet the demands, and spaces throughout were rearranged and redesigned to exceed current accessibility and code requirements. This project was conducted in phases so that the 138 licensed beds remained available for occupancy throughout the duration of construction, allowing residents to continue living in a safe and secure environment throughout the process.