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Public Affairs
Press Releases
The Opening of Seven Hills at Groton’s West Wing Sets National Benchmark for Innovative Pediatric Skilled Nursing Care
October 2006, Groton, MA: On Friday, October 13, 2006 Seven Hills Foundation will dedicate and celebrate the grand opening of the West Wing of its Seven Hills at Groton–Pediatric Skilled Nursing Community. This event represents a major milestone for families in the Commonwealth whose children have profound disabilities and who have been unable to locate beds within existing aging facilities. With the completion of Phase One of this $13 million renovation and expansion project, Seven Hills Foundation will be able to accommodate not only families seeking long-term care, but those seeking respite care as well. This facility is one of the finest in the nation with the inclusion of the latest state-of-the-art technology, equipment, and residential amenities for 83 children and young adults who are profoundly developmentally delayed and have complex medical needs. Seven Hills at Groton is one of only a few facilities nationally that has been modernized and can accommodate children with the combined medical complexity of respirators, ventilators, and gastrointestinal feeding tubes. Of the children who live at Groton, 50 percent have congenital birth defects, 30 percent have a post infection issue (meningitis, undetected infections) and 20 percent are post trauma (falls from bicycles, drownings).
The West Wing at Seven Hills at Groton adds 22,000 square feet of large, brightly decorated rooms and corridors providing an alternative to more institutional-style nursing homes. By the completion of the two-phase project, 48 new beds will have been created to eliminate the overcrowded conditions in the original facility which hasn’t been updated in decades. The West Wing will be technically sophisticated, including:
· Bernoulli Monitoring System to monitor pulse oximetry and heart rate. Each nurse is able to follow residents’ settings on a pager system with a screen attached to his or her wrist.
· Accu-Care Electronic Charting System
· Oxygen (AirGas) Vacuum and compressed air at every bedside, hidden behind walls
· Overhead Guldmann Lifts in every room
· State-of-the-art bathing rooms with overhead lifts, changing "massage" tables, and Arjo tubs with whirlpool capabilities
· Elevated mat tables
· Rauland Nurse Call System
The residents at Seven Hills at Groton require intensive physical and occupational therapy due to their physical constrictions and inability to move on their own. An occupational/physical therapy suite will provide added space to focus on their physical needs and will enhance their daily routine.
· The therapy treatment area will include floor mats, cushioned rooms, developmental and therapeutic exercise rooms, and overhead lifts.
· Adaptive equipment in the form of customized seating systems and handmade orthodics to maximize the children’s access to the world around them.
· Sensory stimulation in the Snoezelen Room which contains sensory technology with special lighting, colored bubbles that change with music, and fiber optics that change color when touched.
An accredited school is on campus to meet the educational needs of the children. With the completion of the West Wing, additional school openings will now be available to children in the surrounding communities who do not require 24-hour, skilled-nursing care, but do require one-on-one assistance during the school day.
The Dedication Ceremony will feature Ms. Sandra Fenwick, Chief Operating Officer of Children’s Hospital Boston, which formerly owned the facility and is a partner in the project. State Senator Richard T. Moore, Chairman of the Committee on Health Care Financing will also speak briefly. Dr. David Jordan, President and CEO of Seven Hills Foundation will speak and present plaques to Wal-Mart, Massachusetts Knights of Columbus, Flagship Bank, and the Patterson Family who made major gifts to the campaign. Following the ceremony, tours will be conducted to introduce the public to the new facility.
Since 1951, Seven Hills Foundation has focused on one theme — to promote and encourage the empowerment of people with significant challenges so that each may pursue the highest possible degree of personal well-being and independence. Seven Hills Foundation offers a full range of services that support children and adults with physical, emotional, developmental, social, and other significant life challenges. Seven Hills Foundation is a statewide organization employing more than 1,900 professional staff and serving 21,000 clients at 150 program sites across the Commonwealth, Cape, and Islands.
Public Affairs
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Copyright © 2006 Seven Hills Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
