It was an afternoon of pride and recognition for Navigator Homes Wednesday, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the assisted living facility off Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road.
“Today is a celebration of home,” said Louis Woolf, president of the Navigator Homes board of directors. “This place is one where Island seniors will receive compassionate, person-centered care without having to leave their Island.”
The facility has been in the works for seven years and was funded in large part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In February, Navigator’s first residents moved into the nursing home facility, which serves to replace Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center adjacent to the hospital.
The project cost $68 million and has the capacity for 66 patients in private suites. Out of its five buildings for seniors, three of them are currently occupied. Attendees toured an empty home Wednesday, mingling in the open dining room.
“Everybody wants nothing but the best for their children. That is not always the perspective for older adults,” said Mr. Woolfe at the ceremony. “This is the very best.”
Navigator Homes follows a structure for senior care that blends privacy and individual care with socialization and communal living, said Mr. Woolfe.
“Just picture it like a big, beautiful college suite, and that’s really what it is,” he said.
As the U.S.’s population ages, Navigator Homes will serve as a model across Massachusetts and the country to accommodate the quickly-growing demographic of older adults, said Tara Gregoria, the CEO of Massachusetts Senior Care Association.
“I brag about you all constantly,” she said.
Christopher Lyon, state director of rural development at the USDA Southern New England office, agreed that Navigator Homes should be the new standard for elderly care. The USDA funds projects related to rural development, including elder services.
“We care about rural communities, and Martha’s Vineyard is a rural community,” Mr. Lyons told the Gazette. “There’s a real need here for elder services and housing for people who care for the elderly. This facility does all of that.”
The drive to support elders is reflected in the Massachusetts legislature, said state Sen. Julian Cyr at the ceremony.
“I’m really proud that the Commonwealth has stepped up in a number of ways to make this possible on the legislative front,” said Mr. Cyr.
In 2024, the state passed an act to improve quality and oversight in long term care.
This year and last, state Rep. Thomas Moakley earmarked almost $4 million in the state’s budget to help fund Navigator Homes.
Nursing director Brandon Payne Brissette said that patients have “come to life” in the new facility. He recalled a patient with schizophrenia who used to remain in his room at Windemere. Once he moved to Navigator Homes, he spent more time in the dining and common areas, enjoying the natural light.
Mr. Payne Brissette moved to the Vineyard from Dennis Port, and now lives in Navigator’s employee housing. The campus contains 48 housing units with 76 bedrooms for nursing home staffers, employees and their families.
“Workforce housing is the answer for the Island,” Mr. Payne Brissette said.
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