Health and Wellness in the Town Budget

By Ruth Melville
Photo: The residents of Geer’s skilled nursing facility gather for a sing-along every Friday afternoon, led by volunteer Barbara Moeckel, left, of Norfolk.

When you walk in the door of main building at Geer Village Senior Community, you might think you were in a country lodge. There’s an attractive seating area to the left of you, with comfy couches and a piano, a fireplace ahead, a high chalet ceiling above. Only the age of most of the people you see tells you that you’re in a retirement home.

The history of Geer goes back as far as 1929, when a one-story hospital was opened on the site. In 1970, a then state-of-the-art skilled nursing facility was added. Over the next decade Geer increased its services, starting an adult day center in 1978 and a dial-a-ride service in 1980. The 2002 Beckley House brought subsidized apartments for seniors on a limited income. 

The final piece of the Geer healthcare campus was the 2003 central building, called the Lodge, which includes independent living, assisted living and two levels of dementia care. It also houses the Canaan branch of the YMCA, which is run independently of Geer, and the Railway Café, which, like the Y, is open to the public. A full range of services and amenities are on hand for the more than 230 campus residents, from a pub with an outdoor patio, to a wellness center (where residents can see a doctor, a nurse or a podiatrist or audiologist), a hairdresser, laundry facilities, a billiard room, a library, a media room, an art studio and exercise classes—all connected indoors with spacious hallways decorated with paintings provided by residents. Activities include lectures, live music and holiday celebrations.

In addition to the Lodge, the Geer campus today includes a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, the adult day center, a full-service pharmacy for residents and staff and a physical therapy clinic. Last year Geer’s free, door-to-door dial-a-ride service, funded by a grant from the state Department of Transportation, gave local seniors 15,000 rides to doctors’ appointments and pharmacies. Ain the near future, they plan on offering a new program called “Geer at Home,” available for an annual subscription fee. Geer at Home will support people in their homes, providing health evaluations, transport services and access to day programs.

Geer is a 501(c)3 community-owned corporation that is operated by a local nonprofit. Kevin O’Connell, CEO of the Geer Corporation, points out that Geer is not just a retirement home but “a significant community center.” Many of its facilities are open to nonresidents. The Taconic Learning Centers holds classes there, and local organizations and clubs are welcome to use its meeting and conference rooms. Geer also has a chapel and space to hold weddings or birthday parties. Both Robin Hood Radio and CATV 6 have facilities in the main building. 

There are 330 people on staff, some of whom started working at Geer when they were still in high school. Recently, a special “longevity breakfast” celebrated 30 staff members who have worked at Geer for over 20 years.

Last year Geer was unexpectedly faced with a $500,000 tax increase when North Canaan questioned their nonprofit status, but the corporation was able to come to an agreement with the Board of Assessment Appeals. “We want to work with the town, we want to be good citizens,” says O’Connell. “Geer is an economic driver for the area.”

As O’Connell says, “There’s lots going on here, this is a big operation.” But the Geer Corporation is also planning for the future, well aware that the area’s aging population means the need for its services that will only increase. O’Connell points out that the baby boomer generation is just starting to need senior healthcare. The first priority is to replace the skilled nursing facility, which doesn’t meet today’s standards. The corporation has received a $2.2 million grant from the Office of Policy Management to build a new building on 45 acres of land along route 7, a project that is estimated to cost $20 to $25 million. Geer will then renovate the old nursing home building to create more units of much-needed supported housing. 

“The new building will have real local impact,” O’Connell says, in part since Geer intends to hire local contractors and local builders for the new project whenever possible. “We want people in Norfolk to know what’s here, what we can do for you.”

This is the third in a series of articles highlighting the organizations in the Norfolk town budget listed under Health and Welfare.