Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Chadwick
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 3/02/2016
Riverside Assisted Living Project and Advances in Neillsville (4 April 2016)
Riverside Assisted Living Project Advances in Neillsville
John and Kati Chadwick stand in front of the former Sunburst Youth Homes administration building in Neillsville March 30. The Chadwick family has purchased the property and is in the process of converting the building into the Riverside Assisted Living facility, with a proposed completion date of Sept. 1, 2016. (Photo by Todd Schmidt/Clark County Press)
By Todd Schmidt
As a family affair, the Riverside Assisted Living project I moving ahead in the former Sunburst Youth Homes administration building in Neillsville.
The Chadwick family purchased the complex from the School District of Colby. The school district received the property as a donation from the Sud Family Trust nearly 10 years ago.
Born and raised in the Neillsville area, John (1982 Neillsville High School graduate) and Jennifer (1986 Neillsville High School graduate) Chadwick have spent their adult lives caring for individuals. They purchased the Travelers Motel in 1998 and through the years, have remodeled it to expand and grow their company called Whispering Pines Manor.
Currently, Whispering Pines Manor consists of two four-bed group homes licensed by the state of Wisconsin; one two-bed group home and three assisted living apartments. Residents include developmentally disabled, elderly, physically disabled, mental health and autistic individuals.
Over the years, their business has grown as the patient demand has increased in the community. Whispering Pines Manor was developed due to a lack of group homes with the right combination of high quality care, home-like environment and affordability.
By providing care to many different patient populations, the Chadwick family and their workers have developed a wide skill-set to meet the long-term care needs of each resident.
In essence, there is a higher demand for facilities to care for these residents than the current market allows.
“We receive many placement calls from various agencies,” John said. “After 18 months of consideration, we decided rather than outsourcing these residents to Marshfield and other areas, we would build another facility in Neillsville.
Kati Chadwick, John and Jenny’s daugher, is being groomed to manage Riverside Assisted Living.
“We will cater to seniors that require all levels of care,” Kati said. “Riverside Assisted Living will provide the staff, skills, experiences and higher quality living environment to meet the needs of each resident. We will meet their long-term care needs while maintaining their independence and improving their health and wellness.
Kati said the family would continue the business motto of providing high quality care.
“Through my experience as a CNA and during my clinical in nursing school, I have enjoyed working with the elderly population.”
Kati said, “I look forward to helping individuals and their loved ones. I am excited to take on this new venture, and I also look forward to being able to give back to the community.”
John and Kati described the process of developing Riverside Assisted Living during an interview March 30. John, who is acting as coordinator for the project, had just finished conducting a preconstruction meeting with a number of contractors.
John said Riverside Assisted Living would be licensed by the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as a 20-bed community based residential facility. DHHS must still approve the building plans prior to licensure, and has a 45-day window to do so. At the moment, a contractor has removed some interior walls and has done some preconstruction work.
John said after the approval phase, construction would begin in earnest in anticipation of a Sept. 1, 2016 completion date. He said each unit would consist of a kitchenette (microwave and refrigerator), living room, separate bedroom and a bathroom. Most of the bathroom units will include a shower.
“We will have individualized-care plans for each person to meet their long-term care needs,” Kati added. “The place will have an upscale, at-home feel. It will certainly not appear like an institution.”
Kati said meals would be provided every day under flexible plans. Activities will also be scheduled, and a salon service will be offered. Two centrally located kitchens will be available for families of residents to use to cook full meals.
“People can age in place and not have to move,” John said. “We will have the ability to fully care for them.”
Returning to the nuts and bolts of the operation, John said the lower level of the Riverside Assisted Living building would be leased as office space. Several home health care organizations are developing plans for use of the space.
The sale of the building was finalized Feb. 23. Forward Financial Bank provided the majority of the financing for the $1.1 million project; with the city of Neillsville kicking in a $50,000 grant from its economic development fund, contingent on licensing and the creation of 10 jobs within one year from the facility opening, in addition to the nine positions in place at Whispering Pines Manor. The Chadwick family cannot resell the building for 10 years.
Neillsville Mayor Steve Mabie said Friday city officials “are smiling ear-to-ear” about the project, which will put the property back on the tax roll.
“We are certainly in favor of this development,” Mabie said. “Everyone was patient, because the Chadwick family had a number of hoops to jump through.
“They have an opportunity to hire additional employees. That is a good thing for them and the city. Our Economic Development Committee was in favor of helping them out. From everything we have seen so far, we think Riverside Assisted Living will do very well.”
John said as many local contractors as possible would be utilized in the construction project. At the present time, contractors lined up include: Custom Heating and Cooling, Schoen Plumbing, Randy Henchen Electric, Scheider Construction and Verum Construction. In addition, building materials will be purchased locally.
“We want to spread it around locally as much as we can,” John said.
Two parking lots will be blacktopped. Landscaping will be added, and a gazebo will be built down by the Black River.
Kati said she is happy the stressful time of getting the project finalized is behind them. It was important to develop a solid business plan showing the project was a good investment.
“We are excited to get this up and running,” she said. “We are getting many calls about our time frame for opening. There is a big need for this type of housing. Many facilities won’t take residents on Family Care or other state payment
programs, where Riverside Assisted Living will.”
For more information, contact Riverside Assisted living at 1-715-743-2901.
