GRAND MEADOW – The sounds of hammering, sawing and other construction sounds have stopped in Grand Meadow.

Thursday, December 07, 2000

GRAND MEADOW – The sounds of hammering, sawing and other construction sounds have stopped in Grand Meadow.

That is, for the time being, they are silent.

New homes continue to be built in Pheasant Run Estates, a single-family residential development, but they are away from the greater downtown area.

The town has a new emergency services building dedicated this summer past.

New streets, curbs and sidewalks and street lighting are in place.

Coming next year will be construction of the new K-12 Grand Meadow Public Schools facility.

If ever there was a building boom going on in a community, it has been Grand Meadow and the latest project to be completed is a giant assisted living complex.

"I’m happy that the management cares about my needs and pleased they are willing to work with me to achieve them. I am looking forward to the meals and library," said Audrey Dunham.

The first resident in the new Meadows assisted living facility put her stamp of approval on the project literally.

She’s helping market the new facility introduced to the public last Sunday, at an open house.

Tealwood Care Center Inc. bought Grand Meadow Health Care Center Inc. from the city of Grand Meadow. The 50-bed residential care facility employs more than 60 full- and part-time workers, making it one of the largest employers in the community in eastern Mower County.

With the new assisted living facility, the size and scope of the Tealwood investment has more than doubled.

Terry Schneider is the administrator and Mary Bollum is a social worker who served as interim administrator until Schneider came on board.

There are 30 units at The Meadows built onto the care facility in Grand Meadow. Two of the units have been rented and a third will be occupied this week.

Seven of the units are studio apartments, costing $1,500 per month for 449 square-feet of living space. Seventeen other units are one-bedroom apartments, costing $1,600 for 599 square-feet of living space. Six others are two-bedroom, 839 square-feet in size units, costing $1,900 per month.

All apartments have a complete kitchen, including refrigerator, range and microwave oven, walk or roll-in showers, spacious closets, individually controlled heat and air conditioning.

If more than one person occupies an apartment, $350 per month is added.

"The basic charges include three meals a day, all utilities except telephone, satellite TV, secured building, emergency pull-cord system, dairy garbage pickup at each apartment, linen change and wash once a week, free laundry service weekly, 24-hour supervision, computer access with Internet access, elevator and individual off-street parking spaces," said Schneider.

Bollum said the special features offered also make The Meadows an attractive housing option.

"There’s a library with see-through fireplace, a chapel or community room, main dining room and a private dining room, an activity room, patio and laundry room," she said. "The elevator is centrally located for everyone and every resident will have their own mail box."

For an additional fee, residents can have a medical alert pendant that allows a centrally-monitored system to know where they are and if they are in need of assistance in the facility.

Home health care services are available and all the therapy services offered at the adjoining care facility can also be accessed residents of the assisted living facility.

In addition, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Stier have offered weekly grocery delivery from their Grand Meadow supermarket.

Guest meals on-site are another special feature.

Schneider said The Meadows fees are "very, very competitive and in some respects more reasonable than other assisted living facilities in the area."

Tealwood acquired the Grand Meadow nursing home from the city in 1996 and Schneider thinks the assisted living project was a smart move by her employer.

"Today’s baby boomers will want to have a housing option just like this to retain their independence when they grow older," she said. "This helps seniors make the transition from their home and completely independent living to the nursing home."

Schneider, who has worked for Tealwood for 10 years, and Bollum, an employee for more than two years, both agreed the location of an assisted living project at Grand Meadow should make it an attractive option for people in Austin to the west and Rochester to the east.

"There are less skilled nursing beds today," said Schneider. "Assisted living facilities are filling the void between complete independent and the nursing home lifestyle."

Bollum said The Meadows’ spare-no-expense policy has created an assisted living facility with "elegance," that, she added, "is still very comfortable."

For more information about The Meadows, call (507) 754-4000.