Parker Announces "Next Generation" of Senior Care at Parker at Somerset

SOMERSET, N.J., Feb. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Parker is ready to change the way you think about nursing homes and post-acute care.

The newly expanded community at Parker at Somerset promises to redefine long-term senior living for the 21^st century by seamlessly integrating next-generation safety and technology with comfortable living spaces and warm social settings. Its doors officially opened on February 1^st.

Parker Health Group's latest community also reimagines post-acute care with the latest proven practices, in which seniors enjoy spacious private suites and rehabilitate using high-tech equipment under the direction of clinical care specialists.

"Our vision is to make Parker at Somerset the standard of what advanced senior care will look like in New Jersey going forward," explained Roberto Muñiz, President & CEO of Parker. "It offers a complete spectrum of aging services, as well as access to an entire healthcare network through our established partnerships with top medical and healthcare providers, all under one roof."

Parker at Somerset features 120 beds for long-term care and post-acute rehabilitation spread over three floors on a sprawling, wooded 14-acre campus located on Dellwood Lane.

Parker at Somerset's new development is a 78,000-square foot expansion of its aging services community. With the opening of the new expansion, the construction teams will now begin the full renovation of the original 50,000-square foot building, which Parker acquired in 2016, to completely modernize the entire site.

The Parker at Somerset campus features a state-of-the-art Post-Acute Rehabilitation Center, as well as Parker's unique "small home" model of skilled nursing care. A new Adult Day Center and a Child Care Center offering daycare services and intergenerational programming will also open later this year.

Rather than the traditional clinical setting of typical nursing homes, residents live in a neighborhood-like setting with other residents who share similar needs and interests. At their own direction, residents may dine together or privately, and spend their days enjoying carefully curated programs and activities.

Parker at Somerset is uniquely designed in response to the needs of seniors post-pandemic, Muñiz said. The building incorporates the latest in infection control technologies typically found only in top-tier healthcare environments, he said.

For example, there are completely touchless access points, and surfaces that are treated to prevent microbial proliferation. The visitor areas have been specially designed to support socialization safely, even under lockdown conditions. Bipolar ionization is also used to inactivate pathogens in the air.

Hospital-grade negative air pressure systems will ventilate rooms and ensure that air is not re-circulated into other areas of the community. Moreover, Parker care partners employ wearable technology that alerts them when their hands need sanitizing, triggered by sensors as they move between suites to care for residents.

"Parker at Somerset has been constructed in a way that it can be easily reconfigured and retrofitted as infection control technologies evolve," said Beth Sparling, Parker's Chief Operating Officer. "One of the greatest features of this building is the way it can adapt and evolve based on need. It's a remarkable forward-thinking achievement, and we're very proud of what we've accomplished."

Parker at Somerset is the culmination of nearly 20 years of experience refining the small home model of nursing care at Parker, creating true homes that are a far cry from the institutional settings of older nursing communities.

Parker launched the Evergreen Way small home model in its Piscataway location over 20 years ago. The model was refined further at Parker at Monroe in 2015, and now at Parker at Somerset, providing safety, simplicity, and elegance for residents. Parker also has a nursing care community in New Brunswick as well as an Assisted Living campus in Highland Park.

Although Parker at Somerset has greatly expanded its footprint, it is not increasing the number of beds at the overall site. Each resident in the new expansion has their own private suite with a bathroom and shower.

"This is all part of Parker's mission and ongoing commitment to ensuring that those we serve, our Elders, patients and community members, receive the highest quality, person-directed care and services we can provide, in the safety and comfort of a home-like environment, and supporting them to live their best lives," Muñiz added.

Parker at Somerset is certified in both Medicaid and Medicare insurance programs, ensuring that all those in need will have the opportunity to take advantage of the many services and programs that Parker provides.

To inquire about availability or for additional information about Parker's complete continuum of care, please call 732-902-4200.

About Parker Health Group, Inc.

Parker Health Group, Inc. is a not-for-profit, New Jersey-based aging services organization with 115 years' experience that is committed to empowering older Americans. We are a diverse community of over 1,500 dedicated and passionate employees, caregivers, volunteers, thought leaders, researchers, educators, and partners. Our award-winning standards and approaches have made us a pioneer of inclusive aging services and long-term care residences, and a national thought leader on the conversation around aging in America. Founded by Henrietta Parker, since 1907 Parker has been challenging, changing, and expanding the idea of what it means to grow older in America and how all of us can make aging part of life. For more information, visit parkerlife.org

Media Contact:
Lee Dorry                                                             
Public Relations & Communications Manager      
Parker Health Group                                             
732-565-2425                                                       
[email protected]

SOURCE Parker Health Group, Inc.