Anna Mae Sullivan burst into tears as she entered the new Good Samaritan Society — International Falls last week.
They were tears of joy as she was finally able to move into her new home.
The former assistant director of nursing for the local Good Samaritan Society who is now a resident was able to get her first glimpse of the new facility on Keenan Drive more than a year after its construction began.
“The only word to describe it is gorgeous,” Sullivan said with a huge smile on her face.
Among the many new amenities the new facility offers, Sullivan says she is most excited about having her own bathroom, and most importantly her own shower.
“I’m just so, so glad,” she said as her daughter, Lisa Cameron, unpacked boxes and put clothes away in her mother’s new room. “And there is a fireplace right outside where I can knit.”
Adam Coe, the organization’s administrator, said offering people private rooms is a huge benefit of the new building.
“People are very happy,” he said. “The stories we hear from residents are amazing just in this first week. People are sleeping better and are so glad they don’t have to share their living space anymore.”
Coe said the first week of having residents in the new building has been an exciting adjustment.
“So far, it’s been great,” he said. “Of course, there have been some adjustments that come with change, but that is to be expected. Some staff have worked at the other site for more than 30 years — their entire career. Now it’s a different routine and a different layout. But we’re getting there.”
The new Good Samaritan Society – International Falls site includes both a nursing home and an assisted living facility.
Good Samaritan Society – Northwinds Assisted Living is a first of its kind service offered in the International Falls community, Coe said.
“We didn’t have an apartment-style assisted living facility in our community and we’re excited to add that,” he said, noting there are apartments still available. “Assisted living is somewhat needs driven, and we do expect (the units) to fill up.”
Coe explained that while they are connected, the nursing home and assisted living facility are two separate services.
“A lot of people see it as one, but really we have two separate services available here,” he said.
Northwinds Assisted Living includes 24 apartments, each about 500-square feet consisting of one bedroom, a living room, bathroom and kitchenette.
The facility is broken down into three neighborhoods, each with eight units and each is intended to put out a “community-like atmosphere,” Coe said.
A grand opening for Northwinds Assisted Living is scheduled for 2-5 p.m. today for the public to experience the new facility, Coe said.
“We’ll have a grand opening for the nursing home eventually, but we don’t have a date set yet,” he said.
The nursing home portion of the facility encompasses a total of 54 beds, Coe explained. It is laid out into three separate households, along with shared common areas for residents.
“The rooms are considerably larger than the ones we used to have,” he said, adding each household has a different color scheme and look, but is laid out the same way.
Rooms at the former facility were about 180-280-square feet, and are about 325-square feet in the new building.
Coe said the rooms weren’t over sized so residents would leave and interact with each other.
The administrator concluded that as he walks around to the different neighborhoods and households of the new facility, the entire atmosphere is different than what was at the old site.
“It smells and feels like home,” he said. “Everyone is home.”
