Rebekah Residences, a 100 percent Medicaid enriched housing/assisted living facility at 1050 Havermeyer Avenue should be completed by this summer at the Rebekah Rehab and Extended Care in Castle Hill.
Unlike other assisted living facilities, this new 56-unit building will be one of the first to accept Medicaid, said Kenneth Gelb, the organization’s CEO.
This is an important step for the organization that will let it accommodate all kinds of people requiring services from the borough community, he said.
“We wanted to have a program that would be able to support those that are unable to live at home independently, but those who do not necessarily need a nursing home,” said Gelb.
Rebekah Rehab submitted an application to the NYS Department of Health to create a project, known as ALP, for those who qualify for Medicaid.
DOH provided a $6.5 million grant for the project, which cost approximately $16.25 million.
The Rebekah Residences project got underway in January 2018, said Gelb.
Units like those at the ALP enriched housing are beginning to fill a crucial void in elder care programming for the Medicaid eligible, with Gelb telling the Bronx Times that New York state is starting to develop programs that include Medicaid enriched housing.
Currently, Gelb estimates there are only a handful of such units in the borough, he said.
“I would think as the baby boomers are aging there is going to be a significant need for this kind of model,” said Gelb, adding it is a way that older people can age in place.
ALP is based on a supportive residential model that suits the senior’s housing needs, both fostering independence and providing support when needed.
The units in the new 48,000 square foot building will feature handicapped accessible bathrooms and kitchenettes with microwaves.
“They are all self-contained studio apartments,” said Gelb.
The building contains common areas including lounges and a dining room where meals will be served.
The services offered to the residents will include meals, housekeeping, personal care, recreation and activities.
Individual plans of care will be developed that should help foster the conditions that lead to physical, social and mental wellness, with physicians visiting the building regularly.
Those living at the new building will also have the opportunity to participate in the programs that are open to all of the residents on Rebekah Rehab’s campus, like an intergenerational program and senior centers.
Gelb said that he foresees most of the residents of the new building being over 65.
Those who are interested in Rebekah Residences should contact Catherine Cieri and find out more about the program, said Gelb.
Call (718) 863-6200 ext. 1124 for more information about Rebekah Residences.
