BY KEVIN J. DONALDSON
Crossville Life Features Editor
“Meeting needs is the driving force behind the Phase II expansion of our campus,” says Gene Wockenfuss, Administrator at the Good Samaritan Society-Fairfield Glade.
“The purpose of our Phase II expansion is to meet the growing needs of Crossville, greater Cumberland County and the entire Upper Cumberland area,” Wockenfuss said.
The Good Samaritan Society, located at Fairfield Glade, provides a continuum of senior lifestyle options on the campus in beautifully-appointed facilities that would rival luxury hotel or resort accommodations.
Residents can choose from a variety of senior living services, including Cottages and Senior Housing with Services, and Assisted Living Apartments. They also offer Short-Term Care (Post-Acute Rehabilitation Services and Long-Term Care).
“Since we opened in 2011, we’ve recognized the need for additional facilities and services for area residents, and that’s what Phase II is all about,” Wockenfuss said. “We’re developing products, services and approaches that will enable the Good Samaritan Society to improve the well-being of seniors and their families for years to come in the Upper Cumberland area.
“Home is a place where you should feel respected, valued, satisfied and free to be yourself,” Wockenfuss said. “We’re honored that tens of thousands of people of all beliefs and faiths call Good Samaritan Society home across the country. Over the past 90-plus years, Good Samaritan Society has become the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider of senior care and services, approaching 240 centers across the United States. We feel so fortunate to be a part of that right here in Cumberland County.”
Wide range of services
Good Samaritan Society-Fairfield Glade’s “continuum of services” offers a wide range of options and care, said Rosa Smith, marketing director at the local facility, including:
• Cottages,
• Senior living apartments, with services,
• Assisted living,
• Post-acute rehabilitation services,
• Long-term care, and
• Inpatient and outpatient therapies.
The Phase II expansion will include additional “senior housing with services” and “assisted-living” apartments, cottages, and health-center beds. The number of all these units to be added during Phase II (and the total number available after completion) are:
• 54 senior apartments with services (96),
• 24 assisted-living apartments (48), and
• 30 health-center rooms, long-term and short-term (60).
There will be a total of 48 cottages after Phase II is completed.
A 50-seat theater, expanded dining rooms, expanded common areas, expanded fitness center, and an inpatient/outpatient therapy gym are also included in Phase II, Smith said.
Current residents will have priority on placement in new expansion facilities.
There are a wide variety of services and floor plans available for both the apartments and cottages. Cottages floor plans as large as 1,500 square feet are available, while apartment floor plans range from about 750 to 1,500 square feet.
There are currently 166 residents at the Good Samaritan Society-Fairfield Glade location. The expansion will raise that number to about 400, Smith said.
Helping seniors with choices
“Whether you find yourself facing a world of new opportunities, or a world unexpectedly surrounded by new medical jargon, change can be scary. But you don’t have to make decisions about your new life on your own,” Wockenfuss said.
“The Good Samaritan Society believes no matter who you are, where you are in life, or what your physical, emotional or financial circumstances may be, you deserve to live a life filled with purpose, hope and meaning,” he said.
“Nationwide, we provide thousands of people each year with senior housing, assisted living options, skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, and monitoring. Additionally, we offer spiritual and social activities, and other services to help seniors live the fullest possible life,” Smith said.
“Our goal is to provide the care people need, the services people want, and the love we all desire,” she said. “Our staff members are challenged to follow Christ’s example of showing compassion, respect, honesty, acceptance, love and joy to everyone we meet. It’s something we’ve been doing for nearly a century across the country, and something we feel blessed to be doing here in Cumberland County.”
Economic impact of Good Samaritan
Cumberland County residents get the opportunity to see the impact Good Samaritan Society has on the lives of seniors and their families, Wockenfuss said, but there’s been another type of impact, too.
“It’s a place where people are loved, valued, and feel at home and at peace,” he said. “Not only have we been able to have this impact on our residents, but we have been able to have a significant economic impact on our county and region.”
In November of 2009, when Good Samaritan Society broke ground on the present campus, the estimated financial impact was $22 million, Wockenfuss said. When the project was complete, 63 new full-time jobs and 22 part-time positions were created, generating an “ongoing economic impact of around $16 million,” he said.
“Phase II construction will have a $28.5 million capital building impact on our county, for a total of $50.5 million spent on construction since 2009,” he said, “and an additional 30 new full-time jobs will be created when constructed is completed. This project will generate an additional $7.7 million in ongoing economic impact. Combined with our initial construction, Good Samaritan Society will have an ongoing annual impact of $23.7 million.
“We feel very blessed to have the impact on people’s lives, which is our primary goal, and to be able to impact our home county’s economy in a positive way, too,” Wockenfuss said.
“We offer daily experiences that tap into the rich culture of our area,” Smith said. “It’s about health care, spiritual care and living life to the fullest. Our desire is to meet people wherever they are on the road of life and to provide housing and other services to meet their needs. We invite you to come for a visit and see why so many people call the Good Samaritan Society home.”
•
For more information on Good Samaritan Society services and facilities, call 931-456-1576 or visit www.good-sam.com/fairfieldglade.
