Libous, Fiala Announce $4 Million For New Broome County Nursing Home

BINGHAMTON, NY - Senator Tom Libous and Broome County Executive Barbara Fiala today announced that the initial development of the County's new nursing home can begin.

$4 Million secured by Senator Libous as part of the 2008-09 State Budget will fund the remediation and demolition of buildings formerly used by the Greater Binghamton Health Center (formerly called the Binghamton Psychiatric Center) in order to clear the land for a new nursing home.

“Willow Point Nursing Home is no longer able to help with some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Libous. “Willow Point serves a significant number of persons with Alzheimer's Disease and these patients deserve the best care possible. This new facility will provide a safe and comfortable community home for our loved ones to live in. We worked hard to secure funding for the beginning of this project. Now we can begin the initial development of the new nursing home in Broome County.”

“I am thrilled with this news and I want to thank Senator Libous for working so closely with us on this project which is so important to our community,” said Fiala. “The costs to demolish the buildings and make way for our new nursing home were prohibitive and could have kept this project from moving forward. I am anxious to begin demolition and commence construction as soon as possible.”

The idea for a new nursing home has been discussed locally for many years. In 2006, the State Commission on Health Care Facilities for the 21st Century, also known as the Berger Commission, recommended that Broome County build a new facility.

Plans call for the construction of a modern pod style facility to resemble local neighborhoods and communities. The state-of-the-art facility will include all of the necessary medical, personal and social amenities that our nursing home population requires to live healthy, fulfilling lives. The new facility will also include a medical model adult day care program.

Renovating Willow Point is an impractical alternative due to the disruption to the current residents and the negative impact on the nursing home operation it would have.

Published Date: 04-08-2008