News Archive | Senior Housing, May 1998 Private/Public Partnership Hopes to Create Elder-Care Prototype California Drug Consultants (CDC) forms a unique -private/public partnership with Riverside County Regional Medical Center designed to keep costs in equilibrium at California Drug Consultants' new senior care facilities while increasing revenues for the local public hospital. California Drug Consultants wants to try to create an elder-care Facility prototype for the burgeoning population of seniors around the county It hopes to move patients out of skilled nursing, into assisted living and ultimately back into their homes where they may need at-home care or day care. Riverside County anticipates almost a four-fold increase in its senior population to 813,929 between 2000 and 2040, with few existing resources to meet the challenge. Seniors make up 17% of Riverside County's population. This is higher percentage of seniors than the average for California counties. Address Hospital Needs The plan was the brainchild of the county health department to address the need for a new hospital, to serve the growing needs of the county's elderly and to develop new revenue streams without relying on general fund money. The city of Moreno Valley issued $10.1M in tax-exempt bonds to cover almost all costs. The bonds have yet to be sold. The Moreno Valley-based nonprofit will build an eight-building, $10.1M campus that consists of 60 skilled nursing beds, 60 assisted living units, an adult/child care facility and a home health-care agency on 32 acres leased from the county. The company's agreement to pay $211T a year for 30 years helped clinch its selection to build the project on the grounds of the medical center. California Drug Consultants will receive title to the land at the end of the 30-year lease. The county put out a request for proposal and California Drug Consultants beat out five finalists, including skilled nursing facility heavyweight Beverly Enterprises, Inc. California Drug Consult ants' affiliate Integrated Care Communities will manage the facilities. Shared Staff Cuts Operational Costs The public-private partnership anticipates increasing revenue at the hospital while containing costs at the private nursing facilities. Operating expenses will be offset by swapping nursing staff between the senior care facilities and the medical center. A continuity of care will be provided for patients when nurses move with a patient to the nursing facility. The swapping of staff will keep fees lower for patients and will make the Facility more affordable for the middle market The senior-care facilities will in exchange provide training experience for medical center personnel and provide a boost in revenue by providing tests and hospital services to skilled nursing and assisted living tenants. The skilled nursing facility will have separate wings that will consist of a section for seniors with physi-cal infirmities, a section for those with memory impairment and a wing for patients with environ-mental illnesses. The Alzheimer's/dementia wing will have a memory board that consists of an alcove with memorabilia and information about each patient to establish that person's identity within the facility for themselves and the staff. The facility also will have a therapy garden where patients can stroll. Residents and patients can be moved quickly along a covered walkway to the medical center. The children's day care facility will provide child care for 170 children. The children of workers at the medical center and the senior care facilities are expected to fill most of the slots but the center will be open to all children. Adult day care will be provided across a landscaped court-yard from the childcare facilities. Integrated Care envisions a beneficial mingling of children and seniors as well as visits by the children to patients in the skilled nursing facility. Return to News Archive Main Menu