Villa Maria Addition and Renovation

Improvement #1: Brighter Environments

Villa Maria’s leaders wanted brighter lighting levels and 4000K color sources throughout for the comfort and safety of aging residents. As an example, WDM renovated the previously underlit dining room with recessed lighting that would produce less glare and higher footcandles than the previous surface-mounted flourescent fixtures. WDM chose Luxury Vinyl Tile that was not only lighter in color, but also chosen to reflect light.

Improvement #2: Secure Access to the Outdoors

A new, paved oval walk-about garden was created outside the Memory Care area on the south east of the building. The area is protected by a fence and mature shade trees. The large addition along Highway 53, or Main Street, gives Villa Maria more visibility in the community. A branded masonry monument sign is flanked by new landscape features.

Improvement #3: Bigger Bathrooms

Before the renovation, en suite bathrooms were difficult to navigate with wheelchairs or walkers and a challenge for staff to assist when needed. The new baths have a full 60-inch clearance for increased accessibility and safety. Private rooms’ showers are now larger, “transfer” showers without curbs that could potentially become trip hazards.

Additionally, renovated Central Bathing rooms have “roll-in” showers that can accommodate wheelchairs.

Improvement #4: More Private Rooms

As a licensed 64-bed facility, Villa Maria reduced the number of semi-private rooms from 30 to 25 to offer more private rooms, expanding from 4 to 14.

Improvement #5: Putting the Private in Semi-Private

Residents in semi-private rooms had approximately 112-s.f. to call their own in a shared room with a small half-bath in the corner. Though a curtain could be pulled to divide the room, there was little privacy and virtually no light-blocking or sound-proofing for residents who might not want to share their roommate’s TV-viewing or visitors. WDM reconfigured semi-private rooms by moving the bath to the center of the room. Now, walls, not curtains separate residents. Additionally, each side has a larger individual footprint of 180 s.f. per person and their own separate entrance. This provides enough separation for residents to keep their own TV and sleeping schedule.

Furthermore, WDM designed the new semi-private rooms for headboards against the wall instead of the window which allows residents to have a bright view outside from bed, instead of facing the interior of building.

“The new semi-private room design gives each room a ‘private feel,’” notes Sister Fran. “People really like the layout.”