Meg Miller, executive director of the Peabody Senior-Care Home in Franklin, N.H., was elated to hear that the beloved facility was approved for a $26 million loan from USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program.
“We are so excited to build on our history of providing compassionate care for those in need,” she said. “This funding will make a huge impact, allowing us to deliver a more complete continuum of care across the communities we serve.”
This health care investment will be used to build a modern senior-living community. The Peabody Home, operating since the 1940s, has built a stellar reputation with residents, family members, staff and the community; however the 80-year old building has exhausted its useful life and is failing to meet modern health care needs for seniors.
Building on the professional services Peabody Home currently provides, the new building will offer three levels of care: independent living, assisted living and memory care. The upgraded design will also include a beauty and barber shop.
With the population of Merrimack County residents aged 65 or older at 13.7 percent in 2010, and estimated to increase to 27.5 percent by 2030, this is a crucial and much-needed project ensuring a rewarding, dignified living experience for New Hampshire seniors. And with living space nearly doubled, the new home will create seven new healthcare and nursing jobs.
In celebration of National Rural Health Day on Thursday, Nov. 19, USDA is highlighting how we are working with rural leaders and our partners to increase access to critical health care across rural America.
