The elevator that has been under repair at Salem Home since the beginning of the year is officially fully functional again.
Salem Home CEO Karin Oliveira shared that the completion of the elevator lined up well with the renovations on the second floor, and the process of moving residents back into their old rooms is now underway.
Moving back in
Oliveira shared, “We have quite a few residents up there already. We are still moving some up because we had to move them down to the main floor, so now they are moving up.”
Getting residents back into their homes is a balance, she said, as the move isn’t something that comes easily to everyone.
“Every move is a little bit of a challenge for the residents, so we need to give them time to adjust.”
New features
Along with the renovations, Salem has added some new equipment to the residential rooms on the second floor.
“We received a very generous donation to be able to purchase 26 H-Track lifts. They are very nice and handy, and provide dignity to the residents and help the staff to save time as well.”
Oliveira explained that the new H-frame ceiling track hoists are used to cover the entire area of a resident’s room, to aid in mobility from one area to another.
Other improvements made were accent walls along some of the longer hallways, which, according to Oliveira, were not solely for aesthetics.
“We can’t change the structure of our building...the hallways are long and we can’t change that. But if you have an accent wall here and there, it kind of breaks up that long hall feeling.” She said, “To help the residents to find their way. So, visually they can [see], ‘Oh, my room is next to the green wall.’”
Related stories:
- 26 beds temporarily closed as Salem Home elevator undergoes repairs
- Renovations contribute to longer than average wait time for Salem Home admissions: CEO
Filling the empty rooms
Salem has had to keep 20 rooms empty for the past number of years, when renovations began on the main floor at the start of the decade. Now, with renovations being completed on the second floor as well, Oliveira says that keeping those rooms empty is no longer necessary.
“Now we are able to fill those 20 rooms that were kept empty for this purpose. So that will definitely make a difference in our wait times.”
She did clarify and say that the rooms will be filled over the course of a number of months, as it does take some time to bring residents into Salem, saying that, unfortunately, it’s not as easy as checking into a hotel.
Oliveira also shared her thanks with the community for their understanding during the time it has taken for the building to undergo these upgrades.
“We are so blessed by the generosity of the community towards Salem, and all the donations that we receive. We wouldn’t be able to do that if it wasn’t for that.”
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