A new era of service to seniors in Sheboygan, Wis. and the surrounding communities became a reality today when Sheboygan Senior Community, Inc., in partnership with USDA Rural Development, opened the doors to a new skilled nursing, assisted living, and short term rehabilitation facility.
“Projects like this reflect how we value the people of our communities,” said Stan Gruszynski, USDA Rural Development Wisconsin State Director. “Seniors and those living with disabilities matter to us, thus the expansion of services is vital to this community and gives seniors the opportunity to live in an environment which offers the highest quality of care. Today we celebrate the work of all who made this expansion and new state-of-the-art facility possible. I commend the good work of the Sheboygan Senior Community, Inc. and wish you much success.”
Without room to add on to the current campus, this new second campus is located on a 40 acre parcel of land in the Town of Sheboygan. The new facility is one level building comprised of a 60 bed licensed Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) and 25 bed licensed Community Based Residential Facility (CBRF).
“We’re so fortunate to have had this opportunity to build a replacement Facility,” said Joan Kleist, Executive Director of Sheboygan Senior Community. “Our goal of providing a home-like environment for our Residents, carrying on the tradition and service of Sheboygan Senior Community and assuring our Customer’s safety, comfort and happiness has certainly been met. Without all the efforts of the USDA and Bank First National in providing our finances and all the efforts of our Architect, Contractors, Contributors and especially our Residents, their Families/Friends, our Board of Directors and our staff….our dream wouldn’t have been able to become a reality. We thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts.”
The new facility is designed using the "Neighborhood Model" which has separate "households" within the neighborhoods. This allows for a more home-like environment and greater flexibility in choice for residents. The “Neighborhood Model” also makes it easier for staff when assisting residents to live safely and comfortably. Each neighborhood includes a shared living and kitchen area, with private bedrooms and bathrooms in each household to make it as close to a home like-feel as possible. The Short Term Rehab area is state-of-the art in providing both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services. Additional amenities include a café, beauty salon, bank, and a small store.
USDA Rural Development awarded a $11.486 million Direct Loan to Sheboygan Senior Community, Inc. and a $2.5 million loan guarantee provided by Bank First National in Sheboygan under the Community Facilities Program. The funds, leveraged with more than $1.8 million from the Center’s own funds, financed the$15.8 million project.
USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Program provides financial assistance for the development of essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population. Loans, guarantees and grants are available to public entities for the construction, purchase, and/or renovation of various essential community facilities. These facilities include schools, libraries, childcare centers, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public buildings and transportation projects.
USDA Rural Development’s funding continues to have a dramatic impact on rural communities across Wisconsin. Since 2010, USDA Rural Development has invested more than $3.5 billion on essential public facilities, small and emerging businesses, water and sewer systems, and housing opportunities for Wisconsin families. Each year more than 50 rural communities in Wisconsin receive assistance from USDA Rural Development for community-improvement and public-safety projects.
USDA Rural Development’s mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. As the lead federal agency for rural development needs, USDA Rural Development returned over $571 million dollars this past year to rural Wisconsin communities. Funds are used to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technological infrastructures. Further information on USDA Rural Development programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting the web site at www.rd.usda.gov/wi.