Governor Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder dedicated the new Brigadier General Wendell H. Gilbert Tennessee State Veterans Home in Clarksville Monday. Gov. Haslam was also joined by Speaker Pro Tem Curtis Johnson, Rep. Joe Pitts, Sen. Mark Green, Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan, Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett, Tennessee State Veterans Homes Executive Director Ed Harries and Tennessee State Veterans Homes Administrator Warren Jasper.
“There are more than 506,000 veterans in Tennessee and 42 percent of them are age 65 or older,” Gov. Haslam said. “We are grateful for these Tennessee heroes and proud of this much needed home to care for our veterans with the dignity they deserve.”
“Tennessee’s State Veterans Homes offer comradery, compassion and high-quality health care,” Comm. Grinder said. “This is the first Tennessee home built using the new federally mandated cottage floor-plan designed to offer a more home-like environment.”
The new state of the art facility includes 108 beds in nine separate homes. Each home includes separate cottages with individual kitchens, fireplaces and a central lounge area.
“This home is equipped with the latest technology, state-of-the-art physical rehabilitation equipment and several warm touches to ensure the heroes who come here feel welcomed and recognized,” Mr. Harries said. “Our residents deserve our very best and we are committed to deliver on that promise every day.”
The 103,000 square foot campus includes an industrial sized kitchen, bistro and large dining area, library, physical therapy resources, chapel, barber shop and salon as well as multiple patios and walking areas to ensure residents have several options for entertainment and recreation.
The Brigadier General Wendell H. Gilbert Tennessee State Veterans Home admitted five residents in late December, 2015.
For more information on admissions and eligibility, call 931-245-4700 or visit www.tsvh.org.
Take a tour of the new home by visiting the Tennessee Department of Veterans Services flickr page.