Situated on James Island, minutes from downtown Charleston, is Bishop Gadsden, a premier retirement community of 500 senior residents, 400 employees and more than 120 acres of property. Scenic views of nature’s marshlands, majestic oak trees and the timeless riverway surround the carefully developed landscape.
Once a modest Episcopal Church home for widows and orphans, today Bishop Gadsden is a vibrant senior-living campus on the verge of further expansion. The Bishop Gadsden Health and Rehab Center, a new two-story building, will soon be constructed on the west side of the property. Ground-breaking may happen as early as this November, adding to its already well-established apartments, cottages and assisted-living communities.
According to Kimberly Borts, director of charitable giving and communications, “This new 156,000-square-foot wing is uniquely designed both to be flexible for future usage and to withstand environmental challenges. It will be reinforced to withstand strong storms and elevated to handle potential threats of flooding. We have been planning for 12 years for a sustainable, adaptable facility that can address both resident and community needs, not only for the present but also for the future. We are now poised and ready to greatly impact both Charleston and the Southeast with additional skilled-care, memory-care and rehab services in a facility conveniently located less than four miles from area hospitals.”
On the first floor, an expanded memory-care unit will house 32 residents in two “neighborhoods.” Natural light from huge bay windows will brighten rooms and living areas. Comfortable common spaces, a bistro, a boutique shop and a clinic with medical offices to address residents’ health care needs will be included.
Another 64 residents requiring long-term skilled care will enjoy rooms with “suite space” and beautiful nature views. Guests can visit comfortably in private, individual living areas, which have been deliberately planned to reduce the institutional feeling that so often accompanies extended residential care. These new skilled-care and memory-care areas will enable residents to remain comfortably and securely among familiar surroundings and familiar faces as they complete the remaining season of their life journey.
Upstairs, the Christy Family Rehab Center will be a Medicare-certified, top-tier rehabilitation facility with space for 32 short-term, acute-care patients. Amenities will include a rehab gym with state-of-the-art equipment and a spa. This section of the new building will not only service Bishop Gadsden’s residents but will also welcome patients from the greater-Charleston area needing short-term rehabilitation care. Not to be forgotten, upgrades for employees will include a lovely new staff lounge with its own bistro, a locker room with showers and a lactation room in the women’s area.
Bishop Gadsden offers the opportunity to enjoy Charleston’s many events and activities while enjoying living “at home” in a caring and supportive senior community. Contact Dan Owens at 843-406-6251 for more information about becoming a member of their “Priority Club” for the new Bishop Gadsden Health Care and Rehab Center or visit www.bishopgadsden.org.
By Janet E. Perrigo
