SPOKANE, Wash. – There is a significant push underway to replace the Spokane Veterans Home to better serve those in need of nursing care. However, funding remains a substantial obstacle.
A hearing took place at the Joint Committee on Veteran and Military Affairs in Olympia, where David Puente, Director of Veteran Affairs for Washington State, discussed the project.
Puente explained that funding for a land purchase has been approved by lawmakers, and he hopes the landowner agreement will be signed by Monday.
The new facility is set to cover 42 acres and will be close to the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center. Puente highlighted that the VA is expected to cover 65% of the $162 million cost, leaving the state to secure the remaining 35%.
The current veterans home faces several issues, including limited outdoor space, aging infrastructure, and a lack of privacy. Puente pointed out that another significant issue is the absence of a memory care facility in Spokane for veterans.
“Currently we can’t meet the growing needs of memory care. We currently do not have memory care in Spokane. This is an area that’s statewide and nationwide that it’s a high need for our aging veterans because of their core morbidity. So our intent is once we build this replacement home is to have some wings to be able to turn those into memory-care units,” said Puente.
The new facility will feature individual rooms and memory care units to address the growing need. The existing facility could potentially be repurposed for transitional housing or adult day healthcare, supported by VA grants.
The state recommends a capacity of 1,200 beds, but currently, there are only 517 available. This significant gap makes the construction of the new facility a priority, pending the securing of necessary funding.
