Veterans, state officials and health care professionals recently cut the ribbon on a major expansion and renovation of Bill Nichols State Veterans Home in Alex City.
When visitors drive up to the home they’ll notice an expanded porte cochere and first floor lobby. The dayrooms on the second, third and fourth floors were increased from 900 square feet to 3,000 square feet. The multi-purpose dayrooms contain living, dining and recreation areas. The 18-month project also included new flooring and paint throughout the common areas, new nurses’ stations and new handrails.
“This facility was built in 1989 and needed an update to kind of catch up with the colors and themes of the nursing homes that are being built now,” Bill Nichols SHV Administrator Garrettte Woodham said. “We all agree, from the facility’s standpoint, these veterans deserve as much as we can give them.”
Outside, the veterans home added an outdoor dining area, two fenced-in courtyards with porches and 25 new parking spaces. The outdoor spaces include comfortable furniture and are easily accessible through the lobby.
“We want the veterans to feel like this is a home away from home,” Woodham said. “The veterans now have places to go outside, get a breath of fresh air, see some of the greenery we’ve planted and enjoy the nice weather.”
While the expansion and renovation cost $4 million to complete, Woodham says the project’s true value can’t be calculated.
“Prior to the renovation, we would have surveys of our families,” Woodham said. “We want the families to feel like once they finished visiting and went home they still felt comfortable and that we were going to take good care of their loved one. We’re still going to show that from a care standpoint, but from an aesthetic standpoint, the renovations double their security. Because the veterans deserve it. No doubt about it, they deserve the best. That’s what I want to hear from families.”
Bill Nichols State Veterans Home offers 24-hour skilled nursing care along with speech, physical and occupational therapy. It is owned by the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) and is managed by HMR Veterans Services, Inc.
From left to right: ADVA Board Members Chad Richmond and Willis Frazier, Alexander City Mayor Charles Shaw, ADVA Commissioner Clyde Marsh, ADVA Executive Director Kim Justice and ADVA Director at Bill Nichols State Veterans Home Kathryn Fuller.
