Event educates community on Golden Gate veterans nursing home

Reporter: Michelle Alvarez
Published: Updated:

There’s been a lot of progress toward the development of the veterans nursing home at the old Golden Gate golf course on Collier Boulevard and Golden Gate Parkway.

“What you’re seeing now is the local community, the local government, getting together with the federal government and to try to come up with ways to jointly get the funding that is needed to get that done,” said Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart. “I’m hoping, and I’m optimistic, that we’re going to be able to bring some federal monies to provide what I think is a very important term.”

The Florida Department of Veterans Affairs nursing home will focus on long-term care for veterans who need assistance with life activities, dressing, cooking, bathing and medication treatment.

“We’re gonna have all of the veteran services located there. And this may very well there may even be space for a military museum at this location, we still have to work with the funding of all of that. But this is a very exciting project,” Commissioner Burt Saunders said.

Commissioner Saunders held an event Wednesday with presentations on the proposed long-term care campus, which will include a 120-bed skilled nursing facility, adult day health care and a veterans community center.

“It’s very important for the community to fully understand what this project entails,” Saunders added.

He said his mission is to make Collier County the most veteran-friendly county in the state. The goal is to provide a spectrum of quality long-term care services that our veterans have earned while serving our country.

“Veterans were willing to sacrifice their lives to protect our freedom. And it’s important that we make sure that our veterans get the services that they earn. And this project, this campus, will help Collier County accomplish that goal,” Saunders said.

Commissioner Saunders said roughly 23,000 veterans live in Collier County. The future nursing home will have an adult day care component at the golf course and will use the nearby building for the county’s veteran services staff.

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