When construction at Briar Hill Health Care Residence in Middlefield Village is complete in 2019, the multi-faceted, family-owned operation will have 96 skilled-nursing beds, said Briar Hill Owner Andy Ohman.
When construction at Briar Hill Health Care Residence in Middlefield Village is complete in 2019, the multi-faceted, family-owned operation will have 96 skilled-nursing beds, said Briar Hill Owner Andy Ohman.
Not only is the facility on Pierce Street north of the village center gaining thousands of square feet, nearly half of Briar Hills’ 135 rooms will be private, he said.
The interior of the older sections of the health care residence is also undergoing a facelift with new carpet and wallpaper, and a number of the rooms that have been semi-private are being reconfigured as private rooms, Ohman said.
Overall, the project will provide additional rehabilitation capacity, a much larger therapy gym, a spa, additional dining and an enclosed garden walkway accessible to all units, he said.
Many considerations led Ohman and his family to decide to expand the business more than three years ago.
“Our admissions have increased significantly over the last four years,” he said.
Some of their clients have shorter lengths of stay at Briar Hill, while others need acute clinical care, Ohman said.
As the Geauga County population ages, there is more demand for senior care at a variety of levels, from post-hospital medical care to rehabilitation and therapy, to long-term assisted living, he said.
With the advance of medicine extending lives, more and larger equipment is needed to help seniors who have been ill or injured regain an active life, so additional space was planned at Briar Hill.
“It is a common event that people are sent home straight from the hospital,” Ohman said. Often, they are unable to safely care for themselves for weeks or months and home health care is limited by insurance. An individual often can expect coverage to include three daily visits of 45 minutes each a week, he said.
For someone who lives alone, that often is not enough, he said.
At Briar Hill Health Care Residence, clients could get therapy seven days a week, if necessary, and they can benefit from nursing care and social interaction, Ohman said.
For more than 50 years, the Ohman family has been providing care in a homelike environment, he said, adding the addition will help Briar Hill in its quest for excellence and to create that home for those who have been entrusted to it.
Eventually, Ohman said they want to expand the facility’s independent living to answer the need area seniors have for safe housing with social opportunities and medical attention available.
Construction started during the summer and the plan is to move clients into the new spaces by next summer, he said.
Craven Construction from Akron is the general contractor.
Briar Hill is one of several operations the Ohman family owns and manages, including Briarcliff Manor assisted living in Middlefield, Blossom Hill Health Care Residence in Huntsburg Township and Holly Hill Health Care Residence in Newbury Township.
Ohman’s son, Christian, is the third generation in the family business, currently focusing on the day-to-day operations at Briar Hill.
He said the facility is a “one-stop shop” for everything a client needs after coming out of the hospital.
