Home combines charm, mission
Guardian Angel Homes in Liberty Lake has added to its family of assisted living and retirement homes with the recently completed Colonial House, an apartment-style home that offers the amenities of assisted and community retirement living.
The new addition is a two-story, 22,174-square-foot facility with a historic theme and the Southern charm of rocking chairs on covered porches. It has a commanding presence on the 4.5-acre Guardian Angel property along Mission Avenue, which includes four other assisted living facilities and a yellow barn that serves as the main office and community center.
“The thing we didn’t have here is the assisted living apartments and that is our last project on this site,” said Guardian Angel Homes Administrator Joan Estudillo. “The typical resident will be someone who needs a little more room and also assistance with meals, medications and health checks.”
The other Guardian Angel Homes include two that specialize in memory care and two that offer bedroom suites for residents. Each of those homes also includes separate independent living apartments.
The Liberty Lake site is one of four for the growing chain. All have made an effort to maintain the founder’s mission of creating a comfortable, home atmosphere. Each of the buildings at Liberty Lake or elsewhere in Idaho and Washington is designed with a theme and includes common living, dining and activity rooms. Visitors won’t find a front desk check-in or long hallways associated with nursing homes, hotels or apartments.
“When you walk out your door, it’s like you are stepping out of your bedroom into your home,” says Estudillo, noting those areas are common meeting and social areas. “It’s a special concept,” she noted of the overall atmosphere and mission.
The new Colonial House facility has capacity for 46 people age 55 and older in 31 apartments, as some units are available for double occupancy. Administrators are awaiting final state inspection before residents can completely move in, but the waiting list has been growing since the project was announced last year. Cost to live at the Colonial House ranges from $2,800 to $3,400 a month.
Units include kitchenettes, bathrooms and living space either as a studio apartment or with one bedroom. Services provided include 24-hour care, daily meals, housekeeping and registered nursing services. The new home is a social climate and includes a billiards room, salon, library, greenhouse and large meeting areas including the dining area, living room and a TV/computer room. Computers include touch screens and allow residents to send voice e-mail.
The $3.5 million Colonial House was designed by Forte Architecture & Planning of Coeur d’Alene and built by A&P Construction of Post Falls. The Liberty Lake facility is owned by John Geddes of Hayden, Idaho.