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By Wendy Simons 
(Reno, NV)– The evidence is ample, and the need is great, for a skilled care facility for veterans in northern Nevada. Currently, there is only one such facility in the state. The 180-bed skilled care facility for veterans is in Boulder City and it is at capacity. There is no similar facility for veterans in northern Nevada. 
 
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), there are more than 80,000 veterans residing in northern Nevada. Statewide, the VA has identified a skilled care nursing need of 649-beds. State law mandates if an additional veterans’ home is authorized, it must be located in northern Nevada. The new Northern Nevada State Veterans Home (NNSVH) will address some of the need serving 96 veterans, spouses, and Gold Star parents. It will be built on State-owned property. Construction plans are 100% complete and ready to go.  
 
Some Background:  
In his SFY 2018-2019 State of Nevada Budget, Governor Brian Sandoval recommended the State fund 100% of the construction costs of a NNVSH in advance of receiving VA New Home Construction Grant Matching Funds. Every year there is a delay, the cost of construction increases by an estimated $1-million to $2-million a year! 
In 2006, a Nevada New Home Construction Grant Application was submitted to the VA and subsequently approved. This placed the home on the VA’s New Nursing Home Construction Project Priority List as a Priority 8 project. Projects do not advance to Priority #1 until a State validates that it has a 35% match. 
During the 2013 Legislative Session, Governor Sandoval recommended, and the State Legislature passed, a bill (AB 505) to begin the design and planning for construction of the new northern Nevada home. The following year, in 2014, a needs assessment was conducted by Strategic Progress, LLC. It substantiated the need for a new veterans’ home.  
The Nevada State Public Works Division contracted with an architectural firm, Van Woert and Biggotti, to develop plans for the project. The plans incorporated the VA’s Community Living Center (CLC) Guidelines. A CLC resembles “home” as much as possible, yet still includes the supportive services required in a skilled nursing setting.  
Click here to learn more about those guidelines: https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/guide/longtermcare/va_community_living_centers.asp 
In 2015, the Governor included State matching funds in his 2016-2017 Budget. (In 2015, the project cost was estimated at $46,171,017, requiring a $14,137,851 State match to receive the 65% funding of $32,033,166 from the VA.) With strong State Legislative support, the State match was approved on June 1, 2015, and as a result, Nevada advanced to Priority Group 1 status and moved from Project #94 to Project #63. In 2017, the project advanced to #50 on the list.  
By fully funding the NNVH in the SFY 2018-2019 Budget, the state will avoid anticipated annual inflationary increases in construction costs while waiting for reimbursement from the federal government. As previously stated, this could save an millions in construction inflation per year.  
With the final approval of the 2017 Legislature and the signing of the Senate CIP funding bill (SB 546) and the signature of Governor Sandoval on June 16, 2017, the project will begin in the summer of 2017 with an estimated 18 month construction timeline. Current project cost: $47,410,954. 
Project Benefits: 
Currently, northern Nevada veterans in need of skilled care are sent out-of-state. This takes them away from loved ones and their community at a time when they need support.  
With this new facility, northern Nevada veterans will receive the skilled nursing care services they need to recover or receive dignified medical treatment in their final days. 
Veterans needing skilled nursing care can remain in a care facility near their family and friends, hastening recovery or providing comfort in their final days. 
125+ jobs will be created; nursing and clinical care staff, therapy, food service, clerical, Veterans Services, housekeeping, laundry, maintenance and information technology, etc. 
Approximately 20+ merchants and vendors will be engaged for fire/safety systems monitoring and service, medical equipment and supplies, food vendors, landscaping services, clinical care-physicians and nurse practitioners, pharmacy, laboratory and diagnostic services, beautician/barber, pest control, electrical service, furniture and finish contractors, painting, maintenance, etc. 
The community center/town hall and parade grounds will encourage and allow for large community and veterans groups to hold events as well as expand volunteer participation. 
Site Location:  
The new address will be 2 Kietzke Lane  
It is near the Intersection of Kietzke Lane and Galletti Way, in Sparks, Nevada 
Veterans home versus a community nursing home: 
Care: Our Nevada Veterans Nursing home has three regulatory agencies: the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, and the State of Nevada Health Division. Together, these regulatory agencies ensure that our veterans receive the best care possible in order to achieve the goal of maintaining or improving the physical and mental health of our residents.  
Cost: The cost for a veteran to reside at the Nevada State Veterans Home in Boulder City averages $125 dollars a day. The veteran pays for the stay from a variety of revenue sources including: Medicare/Medicaid, VA compensation, pension, and per diem, and private pay sources. This cost compares to an average daily rate of $233 charged by nearby facilities. While the cost for care at a new home may increase to reflect rising medical costs and private single-room care, we also anticipate that veterans will receive a corresponding increase in VA and other Federal reimbursements. While we cannot say with certainty what the actual costs and Federal reimbursements will be once the northern home is completed, we do know that the cost will be significantly lower than homes offering similar services. 
Culture: Veterans Homes are operated under a “Person-Centered Care” philosophy; incorporating resident preferences in decision making. Residents play an active role in shaping decisions affecting their lives; this not only improves operations, but gives veterans, who were leaders in their military lives, the dignity of determining how their care will be provided. 
Community Involvement: We embrace family and community members into a shared partnership of supporting and caring for residents. Our NSVH has almost as many volunteers as residents. Also, where our clinical staff ensures a great quality of care, our volunteers help ensure a great quality of life with activities ranging from music, crafts, educational classes and bingo, to outings in the local community, ice cream socials and theatrical productions. More than 12,000 volunteer hours were logged during 2016 at the NSVH. 
Veterans Needs: About 75% of our veterans in homes are male, whereas in a non-veteran home the inverse is true. Instead of entering a residence and having to establish relationships with strangers, every new resident has a common tie with all others— the shared experience of service to our nation and the bonds of comradeship. 
Some eye-opening statistics: 
According to the VA’s Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care Services, statistics clearly demonstrate a growing need for skilled care services nationwide. 
More than 4 million of the 9+ million Veterans enrolled in the VA care are over 65. 
More than 60% of VA-enrolled Veterans will eventually need nursing home care. 
By 2024, the number of Veterans 65 or older rises to more than 4.5 million, continuing through 2034. 
The number of VA patients with dementia will increase 24% to over 335,000. 
The number of potential family caregivers per older adult in America will decrease from 7 to 4. 
The Northern Nevada Veterans Home is a model that will support choice, independence and well-being in a design that resembles a home, yet has the amenities of a veteran-centric community that can provide skilled nursing and memory care. The households within the three neighborhoods will feature private rooms, dining rooms and common spaces. The Town Hall will become a “hub” of community events featuring a gym/therapy center, coffee bistro, sports bar, chapel, conservatory, commissary, meeting rooms and dining hall. 
For additional information, contact Deputy Director Wendy Simons at: simonsw@veterans.nv.gov or (775) 825-9751