The new Veterans Home in Quincy will include a new water loop with high-tech monitoring to look for bacteria – the kind believed to have caused the outbreak of Legionnaires Disease in 2015 that led to the death of 13 residents and to have made dozens more sick.
“Technology has been added to this program that we're able to maintain the high water surveillance on this project, not only throughout the project, but when it's done,” said Troy Culbertson, the home’s administrator, during an update on the construction progress on the $230 million replacement project.
The 80 bed independent living building is on track to open next year, with the 210 bed skilled nursing facility set to open in 2024.
New water safety equipment and procedures are already in place, but they will be further enhanced in the new buildings.
“We use City of Quincy water, and we are connecting all the new buildings and existing buildings directly to that supply using new plumbing,” Culbertson said. “We take special precautions to keep bacteria at bay. We secondarily treat all of our water supply, on top of what the City of Quincy does.”
In addition to increased water safety, the new construction will increase efficiency at the facility, and give staff more time to spend with residents on their care and comfort.
“This will centralize our dining facilities into this building where we don’t have to logistically truck our meals from one building to another,” Culbertson said.
The new facility also touts amenities including a spa, a theater and a pub.
The new veterans home will have the same number of beds as the current facility, but Culbertson says a study of Illinois' demographics and the age of veterans shows the home will be adequate to meet the need for years to come.
“We are not 100% full at this time. So by maintaining our current bed capacity, we’re very confident we will be able to meet that need,” Culbertson said.
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