Heath Village

Heath Village is a full-service retirement community which also includes a comprehensive health care facility. There are no life care fees and optional entrance fees, making it an affordable choice for today's retiree who wants to remain active, involved and independent. The 100+ acre community offers a variety of living accommodations including: 151 independent apartments ranging in size from studio to two-bedrooms; 10 cottage style apartments which include two bedrooms, a single car garage, utility room, two baths, an eat-in kitchen and a three-season porch; 30 hotel-style apartments which include housekeeping services and three meals per day; 40 residential healthcare beds and 108 skilled nursing beds, both licensed by the new jersey state department of health. For the fiscal year ended june 30, 2023, the independent apartments served 239 residents, the residential health care unit served 46 residents, and the skilled nursing unit served 390 short-term and long-term patients. The facility provides financial assistance through its benevolent care fund, the friendship fund, to residents who have exhausted their resources. During the fiscal year, the friendship fund provided $324,825 in benevolent care across all levels of care.all residents and patients of the community enjoy around the clock security, a wireless emergency/nurse call alert system, wifi, maintenance services, transportation services, pastoral services, and social activities both on campus and off campus in addition to a swimming pool and jacuzzi, community garden, shuffle board court, bocce court, nature/walking trail, library, fitness center, gift shop, beauty salon, craft shop, chapel, and numerous other amenities. Independent residents of the community enjoy a diverse schedule of regularly planned activities including yoga, fitness classes, movie nights, worship services, live entertainment, pool parties and much more. During the fiscal year, off-campus trips included miniature golf, a local holiday lights bus tour, the nj performing arts center to see the nj symphony orchestra, hunterdon hills playhouse, the local fish hatchery, papermill playhouse, two museums, a wolf preserve and numerous lunch trips to local restaurants. Shopping bus routes continued to run 3 days per week for residents who need a ride to local stores, and shuttle services were also provided to several churches in the area. Residents participate in about 40 resident groups and organizations that are available on campus such as the art club, chip and putt golf, cornhole, shuffleboard, mutual support group, needleworkers group, pickleball, choir, and book discussion group, to name a few. The ever-popular bocce league continued their saturday morning lessons, and an end-of-season tournament against the administration. During the month of june, the hiking group hosted the first annual walking tour event and started a monthly hiking orientation for new hikers or those who are unfamiliar with the trails on the Heath Village campus. Volunteers who reside on-campus continued the efforts of the facility's thrift store known as the friendship store, which generated proceeds of $4,342 to support the benevolent care fund. An additional $4,401 net proceeds were generated from the volunteer-run gift shop. Other resident volunteers also raised $803 from a bake sale, $311 from a memorial day poppy pin sale, $1,338 from a raffle, and $1,182 by holding a farmer's market throughout the growing season as vegetables were harvested from the community garden. All net proceeds benefited the benevolent care fund.while the residential healthcare and skilled nursing units have their own dining room facilities, all residents and guests of the community have the option of dining in the main dining room for a restaurant style dining option, the grill room for a fine dining experience, the pub, or in the cafe for a less formal setting. Residents also enjoyed various special events in the main dining facilities such as a christmas tea, holiday luncheons, ice cream socials, outdoor bbqs, happy hour, an oktoberfest celebration, veteran's appreciation luncheon, volunteer appreciation luncheon, and a super bowl party. In the spring, residents attended a Village social in which they had the opportunity to sample new menu items from the campus pub.the newly built, state-of-the-art skilled nursing unit provides a spacious, homelike atmosphere and boasts a sub-acute care and rehabilitation facility which provides first-rate in-patient care for adult patients fifty-five and older who are recovering from an acute illness or injury. The small household design allows for more personalized and flexible resident care. There are four long-term and two short-term/sub-acute care households. To help make the space feel more homelike, every long and short-term care resident has their own private bedroom. This popular amenity not only offers improved quality of life but enhances Heath Village's already stringent infection control measures it has in place to help prevent the spread of viruses such as covid-19. The rehabilitation center is equipped with the latest technology and includes an activities of daily living (adl) suite where patients can practice a variety of life skills such as cooking, showering, and getting in and out of bed. There is also an outdoor courtyard designed to help patients maneuver different terrains and inclines. The facility provides the following comprehensive services: medical and surgical recovery, cardiac care, wound care, physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, iv therapy, vestibular therapy, assistive device training, medication management and hospice care. They specialize in balance, gait assessment, fall prevention and improving overall mobility. Independent residents of the community also benefit from the out-patient therapy services provided by this facility. During the fiscal year ending june 30, 2023, the rehab facility served 46 out-patients in addition to serving the in-patient population. Residents who live independently outside of the nursing facility also benefit from home health services and out-patient nursing care made available through the skilled nursing unit - 21 residents received this type of assistance during the fiscal year.during the fiscal year, the meadows skilled nursing facility was recognized as a bronze level antimicrobial stewardship recognition program award recipient by the new jersey department of health. This is the third consecutive year that the meadows nursing staff has been recognized for their ongoing antimicrobial stewardship efforts. The skilled nursing facility has a social services department which is dedicated to the psychosocial well-being of all patients and residents within the community. This department serves as an interdepartmental liaison for the patients and family members to make sure all their needs are met medically, physically, and emotionally, and is responsible for in-servicing staff members on mood behavior, trauma-informed care, customer service and communication, lgbtq in ltc setting and dementia. The social service department schedules and facilitates all the interdisciplinary team meetings which are held twice a week with the residents and their family members. These meetings are designed to update the residents and family members on medical issues, their rehab progress, etc. The social workers assist with discharge planning for those patients that are receiving subacute rehab and assist with setting up services in the community for the patients to enable them to resume their lives after rehab (i.e. Private duty home health aide, nursing, pt, ot, meals on wheels, etc. ), or if the patient is not able to return home, they assist with facility placement. This includes working closing with the atlantic hospital's aco program for continuity of care from the hospital to the facility and discharge back to the community, providing weekly updates and discharge planning to coordinate care with the facility and doctors upon discharge.the social services department also works together with psychiatrists, therapists, and the interdisciplinary team to reduce the signs and symptoms of depression in both long-term care and sub-acute patients, and provides one-on-one emotional support to residents, patients, family members and staff. The office makes referrals for in-person psychological services, talk therapy, pet therapy and spiritual support for those residents in need. The social services office also runs the employee assistance program for Heath Village, offering supportive services and referrals for staff. In addition, they work closely with local colleges and universities, hosting interns at the bachelor's and master's level who are interested in working in the field of social work or counseling within the senior population.