Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home
The Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home is a 192-bed skilled nursing care facility located adjacent to the Medical College of Georgia Hospital and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta.
It is operated under a contractual agreement with the Medical College of Georgia. Medical care is provided to veteran patients at no cost to the veteran or the veteran's family; however, medical services obtained by the veteran outside the home (hospitalizations and outpatient services) may have charges associated with them.
Primarily a facility to provide care to aged and infirm Georgia veterans, the GWVNH also serves as a teaching facility to acquaint medical and allied health students with medical conditions and diseases that confront the aged.
This provides the students with practical experience and helps them gain expertise in treating the elderly.
The facility also houses the Georgia Department of Veterans Service field office, which services Columbia and Richmond counties.
Dedicated in 1969, the facility was the first of its kind in the nation to be built with financial assistance from the federal government.
It is one of a select group of such institutions in the United States that has been accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
In 2001, the GWVNH provided 63,772 days of care to Georgia veterans. There were 285 admissions and 291 discharges, and the average length of stay was 237 days.
The average age of residents in the facility is 76 years of age. The GWVNH provided 22,230 physical therapy treatments and 6,090 occupational therapy procedures in 2001.
To help provide care and treatment, the federal government provided financial assistance totaling $3,358,664 during 2001. During the year, construction was completed on a multipurpose therapy room that is now being used to provide enhanced therapeutic services to our veterans.
Throughout the year, veterans organizations, civic and fraternal associations, and religious groups demonstrated their concern for the well being of ailing veterans through numerous donations and the continuing sponsorship of frequent veteran-related activities.