New rehab wing opens at Rockingham County Nursing Home

BRENTWOOD - One of the oldest wings in the Rockingham County Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center has now become the newest, state-of-the-art rehab wing.

Administrator Steve Woods said a 1956 wing was gutted right to the outside walls to create a short-term rehab stay wing that he feels is one of the best in the state.

A grand opening event for the 18-bed unit was held on Thursday, Jan. 18. The unit is ready to open its doors, as is the new lobby, designed to enhance customer service and safety and give a great connection to the new unit. Warrenstreet Architects of Concord is responsible for the design and implementation of the new wing.

Gov. Chris Sununu was on hand for the ribbon cutting, dedicating the construction to Dr. Karl Singer, medical director of the Rockingham facility. Singer, who specializes in geriatrics, has been an attending doctor at the facility since 1975 and the medical director since 1982.

"The old wing, no longer used, had up to four patients in a room," said Woods. "There was a bathroom in the hall that was shared. The new unit rooms are single occupancy, each with its own bathroom. We have completely redone the space and it is beautiful and inviting for the patients. The new nursing station is gorgeous. We are fully staffed and there is someone there around the clock."As for the dedication to Singer, Woods said there is no one more deserving.

"He is the absolute best," said Woods. "He is so caring, and he is here every week. He retired from Core physicians a year ago, dedicating himself to our facility.

He has overseen the development of the medical staff here, which includes a full-time nurse practitioner. He heads up our quality control and we are so grateful to have him here. He is an incredible asset and part of what makes us one of the best facilities in the state."

Dr. Singer is tickled that the entrance and courtyard of the new wing will be named for him. He said the actual wing is the Dr. Fernald wing and it will keep that name as far as he knows.

"I love this place," said Singer. "I started in 1975. It seemed to me then that caring for older people was a growth industry in the area and I was right about that. I started as an attending physician and when the former medical director retired in 1982, I took over the position."

The Rockingham facility is staffed full time, every day of the week and that includes a doctor there each day for at least a few hours, and a doctor always on call.

"We have a nurse practitioner on site for 40 hours," said Singer. "There is always a medical professional there, or on call and that doesn't happen in every care facility."

Singer said the remodeled wing was so old it had bare lightbulb fixtures and asbestos to be abated.

"It had four people to a room and they needed to walk down the hall to the bathroom," said Singer. "That was the way it was in the 1940s, but it not the way things are done today. The new wing is really beautiful."The wing is intended for short term rehab stays. Singer said patients might stay a few days or up to 90 days.

"Patients might be recovering from elective surgery," said Singer. "Perhaps they broke a hip or had a major illness that left them too frail to care for themselves for a while. It might be transitional, for someone who could need to be moved to long term care eventually."

One nice touch at the new wing are the photos. Singer said they had photos taken from many beautiful areas of New Hampshire and hung them on the walls.

"No matter what part of the state you come here from, you can find a picture to make you feel at home, to make you feel supported," said Singer. "We have a cafeteria where families can have a lunch with their loved one."