Wharton Care Center
Wharton Care Center, part of the Uplands Retirement Village in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee, is an existing 62 bed nursing facility with a predominantly clinical care model and overall institutional environment. The decision to build a replacement facility was met with enthusiasm by the independent living residents who, with the assistance of the administration, created committees to research models for dementia care, “green” building practices, and an appropriate fitness center with an indoor pool. JSR’s first contact with the project was with a 76 year old resident, Jane Heald, who was the chair of their “green” building committee. JSR discussed LEED in relationship to their replacement facility and introduced Jane Heald to The Green House Project care model, which was subsequently shared with the committee studying dementia care.
Originally hired as a consultant for a feasibility study for Wharton Care Center, JSR Associates, Inc. ultimately teamed with McCarty Holsaple McCarty, and TLC Engineering to re-invent long term care for Uplands. JSR was responsible for senior living consulting and programming, and is continuing their work for WCC’s interior design, planning, casework, acoustic and lighting recommendations.
JSR conducted several workshops, including “resident-centered care modeling” with Jude Rabig, (a “Small House” operational consultant and founder of NASH), the evaluation of existing operations, and visits to the Green House in Tupelo, Mississippi and other new facilities. The resultant information helped JSR to develop a physical space program that supported WCC’s shift from institutional care model to a resident-focused care model. The concept developed includes two "duplex" building households consisting of 31 residents each. Budget constraints necessitated some double occupancy units, which are provided with alcoves for each resident to maximize privacy. Mock-ups of room layouts were created for review and response by the staff and residents. These were particularly helpful in the development of the resident unit and bathrooms and the kitchen areas. In addition, JSR evaluated the facility’s current community space and dining services and proposed the addition of a sunroom to assist in clarifying the newly designed common space for each household of 15 to 16 residents (1/2 of the duplex). The ‘Duplexes’ have broken ground in October 2008 and are anticipated to be completed in 2009.