More than a retirement home, the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home is a community, conceptualized, designed and constructed to provide comfort, care and respect to the State’s aging veterans; the men and women who have bravely served the U.S. at home and abroad. Veterans who have served active duty, spouses of veterans and Gold Star parents are eligible to live at the home; 110,000 square feet filled with warm and welcoming light, soft and textured finishes, soaring open spaces, and wide comfortable hallways. It is a place where northern Nevada veterans can receive the skilled nursing care services they need to recover or receive dignified medical treatment in their final days.
Our team’s mandate was that this never feel like a hospital or institution. When you arrive, it is immediately clear that the home has been created with the utmost pride and respect for our military family. The street has been renamed by the City of Sparks, making the home’s address 36 Battle Born Way – recognizing Nevada as the 36th state to join the Union and a reflection of the Nevada State motto. You are greeted by the parade grounds, with flag poles ready for military and patriotic ceremonies. A porte cochere protects people from weather as they arrive to visit or depart for activities. Inside the front door, the airy reception and office area welcomes visitors with a comfortable and stylish seating area set against a backdrop of textured finishes that reflect the northern Nevada region.
The central “town hall” area has a large open dining space, several seating areas, a salon and barber shop, cafe bistro, therapy gym, sports bar and general commissary. It will serve as a gathering place, hub and heart for area Veteran Service Organizations and other Veteran Support or Advocacy groups. A state Gold Star memorial will also be erected on the property.
Each of three wings has more intimate group living spaces that look and feel like a modern home’s “great room” or den with big screen TVs and an open kitchen and dining area. Each veteran has a private room. Each door has a private display cabinet to fill with memories, medals and flags to share with visitors and other residents. The staff offer varied levels of skilled care for up to 96 people.
Value engineering saved $800,000. The team worked to make room in the budget for valuable amenities like the Chapel and the Observatory. They also added an oxygen storage tank and tie-ins to one wing of residences for an additional level of skilled nursing care.