EXCHANGE: Golden nursing home gets upgrade

GOLDEN, Ill. (AP) - From a window of his home just up the street, Kenny Miller keeps watch over a construction project at Golden Good Shepherd Home.

So do the homes residents, who enjoy sitting outside to monitor the work in progress.

The four-room addition, plus a beauty shop and a spa, is a first for the home.

Although an activity room and new entrance have been added in the past, the roughly $300,000 project is the first resident room addition in the homes 50-year history.

We just need more room, Miller, who heads the homes board, said.

The 42-bed home generally stays full and has a waiting list, making it difficult to serve people who counted on making Good Shepherd their home.

Our facility was built by the Golden community, and on occasion we werent able to take some of our community members who had been active on our board or involved over time, Administrator Amanda Marlow said. We also werent able to take in new residents as often or those on Medicare to do rehab and generate that extra revenue.

Adding four beds was the least complicated way to expand without needing to meet additional state requirements, Marlow said.

Beyond the rooms, the project offers other amenities for residents.

We need to update our beauty shop. Its kind of stuck in the corner and not very large, Marlow said. Our spa will have a new whirlpool tub, showers. It will just be something a little bit nicer, more luxurious.

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EXCHANGE: Golden nursing home gets upgrade