New Lake County nursing home approved
A spirited applause ripped through the audience's nervous anticipation in the Lake County Board room Tuesday as the decision came to build a new county nursing home.
With an overwhelming 22-1 vote, the county board approved replacing the aging 360-bed Winchester House in Libertyville with a smaller, roughly 175-bed skilled nursing facility.
"I didn't think it was going to go through that easy, but it did," said Frank Costa, 56, president of the Winchester House resident council. "I'm surprised."
Costa had expected more "no" votes. He was relieved months of lobbying by residents, staff and advocates paid off in keeping Winchester House in business.
More than 70 advocates from the nonprofit Lake County United joined Winchester House staff and several residents in wheelchairs, walkers and canes in cheering from the packed audience seats and an overflow room once roll was called on the vote.
"This is an issue that really transcends different faiths, ethnicity or anything else," said Ibrahim Mohamed with Lake County United, a group of 37 churches, mosques, synagogues, nonprofit organizations and unions.
Staff and residents at the nursing home watched the vote go down, as the meeting was broadcast on TV screens throughout the building.
"This day was a long time coming," Winchester House Director Jamie Weibeler said. "There was a lot of anticipation about the vote. With the discussions over the last two years, there was a lot of uncertainty which direction the board would want to go with the decision."
For months, county board committees discussed pros and cons of three options: closing Winchester House entirely, rehabbing the existing facility, or building a new nursing home.
County board member Brent Paxton of Zion cast the lone "no" vote, as he did at an earlier financial and administrative committee meeting.
"There were a lot of things that went into my decision, but overwhelmingly up here I hear, 'What can you do about my property taxes?'" Paxton said. "If Winchester House were to close, the Lake County Board could potentially do something to lower taxes because that levy wouldn't necessarily have to be used anymore."
The new nursing home will cost taxpayers $31 million. Officials expect to fund it through bonds to be repaid over 20 years with operating revenues and property taxes.
Paxton also doesn't believe there is a need for Winchester House with growing competition from the private sector.
"I say that with the confidence that the residents of Winchester House could absolutely be absorbed into the surrounding nursing homes," Paxton said. "These patients would not be kicked out onto the street and have no place to go."
Winchester House hasn't been able to fill its 326 operational beds for years and has been running a deficit. Currently, the nursing home has 252 residents. Its market share of patients is expected to decline further.
Yet board members who supported the new nursing home hoped to keep a long-time tradition alive. The new facility will be built near the existing nursing home off Winchester Road where the county has operated a home for the elderly since 1847.
"This is a seminal moment for me, and I think for the board it's going to be a defining moment," said board member Bob Sabonjian of Waukegan.
The new facility will likely not be operational for another four years. The county must first file a Certificate of Need and win approval from the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board. That process could take up to 18 months.
The county board also gave a green light to staff to study the possibility of building a separate 60-unit supportive living facility to complement the nursing home for an extra $12 million.
The way forward for Winchester House
The Lake County Board Tuesday approved building a new, smaller 175-bed nursing home to replace Winchester House in Libertyville.
• Funding for the $31 million project will come from bonds to be repaid over 20 years through operating revenues and property taxes.
• The county must file a Certificate of Need with the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board. Approval could take 18 months. The new Winchester House is expected to be operational in four years, and operate within an existing property tax levy approved by voters in 1982.
• It will cater to a majority of seniors on Medicaid, with some Medicare and private-pay clients. It will include a larger memory care unit keeping with the current market trend.
• A seven-member advisory board of health care professionals will be appointed to oversee the nursing home's progress. The advisory board's primary goal is to keep abreast of market trends in operation and management of senior care facilities, and act as a sounding board for new ideas.
Source: Lake County