FORT MYERS, FL (December 29, 2009) – Shell Point Retirement Community held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Rehabilitation Center that will be part of the Larsen Pavilion, Shell Point’s skilled nursing facility. On December 22, members of the Shell Point management team and Wright Construction gathered to commemorate the beginning of the $5 million project.
The new free-standing facility will be adjacent to the Larsen Pavilion on The Island at Shell Point and will feature 7,465 square feet of space dedicated to providing the most advanced therapy, restorative programs, and equipment available for assisting residents in building strength, regaining agility, and recovering movement and the highest function possible following an injury, illness, or surgery. Currently the original Rehabilitation Center at Shell Point is 1,375 square feet and provides inpatient, outpatient, and transitional care services to those recovering from surgery, orthopedic repair, or joint replacement; or who have experienced a stroke or progressive neurological disease. Once this project is completed, the new rehabilitation facility will offer a significantly expanded program of equipment and services in the area of rehabilitation and physical therapy.
Some of the new features the facility will provide include state-of-the-art equipment for assessing and improving balance to provide stability and reduce falls. With this new equipment the individual’s progress can be recorded and monitored to track improvement. The larger gym will allow more people to utilize the services, and individual treatment rooms will be available to provide privacy. The Occupational Therapy Transition Suite will allow for better preparation in a real-world environment as patients prepare to return home or to their normal routines. A new Aqua Therapy Pool will enhance therapy opportunities while decreasing impact with water buoyancy. In addition there will be a private rooftop patio on the second floor of the facility that will provide residents of the memory care unit access to a protected and secure garden environment.
“This project is important to Shell Point because of the expanded services we will be able to provide,” said Peter Dys, president of the retirement community. “We have been conservative and deliberate in our planning to make sure the funds were already available before the construction of the project began. Our residents have been involved from the very beginning and offered their generous support in our recent capital campaign for the new facility.”
Last year Shell Point completed a $24 million dollar renovation to expand and enhance the community’s skilled nursing facility, known as the Larsen Pavilion. Originally built in 1971, the Larsen Pavilion is licensed for 219 beds, including a 9 bed Hospice unit which serves both residents of Shell Point and the outside community. The facility is fully staffed with two full-time on-site physicians, a nurse practitioner, and a trained nursing staff. The facility accepts Medicare patients who need short term rehabilitation following a surgery or illness, as well as skilled nursing services for long term care.
“This has been a banner year for health care at Shell Point,” said Steve Minniear, vice president of health care services for Shell Point Retirement Community. “In addition to completing the renovation, our facility was also accredited by the CARF-CCAC, with certifications in Person-Centered Long-Term Care for Specialty Programs in Dementia and Stroke care, making Shell Point the only facility in the nation that holds all three.”
According to Bob Southern, director of project development, site work for the new Rehabilitation Center at Shell Point will begin immediately and construction of the building is anticipated to take approximately 12 months to complete. Shell Point chose a local commercial builder to build the facility and has contracted with Wright Construction in Fort Myers.
“Shell Point and Wright Construction have had a great relationship for the past 22 years and have enjoyed success together on several projects throughout the community,” said Fred Edman, president of Wright Construction. Some of the previous projects built by Wright Construction at Shell Point include the Harbor Court and Sundial residential buildings on The Island, the Welcome Center, the four independent residential buildings in The Woodlands, and The Arbor assisted living facility.
Shell Point Retirement Community is a not-for-profit continuing care retirement community, providing lifecare services to more than 2,200 residents. Services include 1,204 independent residences, 219 skilled nursing beds, and 252 assisted living beds in the largest continuing care retirement community in the state of Florida and one of the largest in the nation. The community is located in Fort Myers just off Summerlin Road, two miles before the Sanibel causeway.
