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By Terri Hendry
(Sparks) More than 80,000 veterans are believed to live in Northern Nevada. Unfortunately, there is no skilled care or nursing home facility for these veterans and when the need arises, they are sent to far away facilities, outside the State. Because the need is so great, Governor Brian Sandoval and 2017 Nevada Legislature approved advanced funding to begin construction on a new Northern Nevada Veterans Home in Sparks.

Construction kicked off last summer following a ground breaking ceremony in July. Now, the foundation is nearly finished and in the next few days the walls will start going up on the new facility. Construction is slated for completion by November 9, 2018, that is the Friday before Veterans Day which falls on a Sunday in 2018.

The 96-bed facility is designed to feel like a “home,” not at all like a hospital. If you look at each area, the home will be broken down into a “house” featuring eight private rooms with communal space for a living room, den and country kitchen that will be shared with another “household.” The combined “household” will contain 16 residents. The “neighborhood” is the combined footprint of two “households” with 32 residents. The home will have three “neighborhoods.”

The new facility will also feature a “Town Square” or “Town Hall” which will serve as a gathering place. It will include a barber shop, beauty salon, sports bar, dining commons, commissary, chapel, coffee bistro, ice cream shop, physical therapy gym and meeting rooms. There will also be a parade ground for ceremonies and other events.

State veterans homes fill an important need for low-income veterans and veterans who desire the camaraderie of fellow veterans. Up to 25-percent of the home may be family members of veterans including spouses, surviving spouses and/or Gold Star parents. The remaining 75-percent of the residents will be veterans.

Nevada has a state veterans home in southern Nevada located in Boulder City. The Nevada State Veterans Home has an average of 127 male veterans, 40 spouses and 13 women veterans. The Boulder City facility has a capacity of 180 residents and is usually at full capacity.

Visit our website at: http://veterans.nv.gov/benefits-and-services/northern-nevada-state-veterans-home-sparks-nv/ for more information on the new northern Nevada home. (You will find a form showing your interest there.)