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NHHS adds residential care service in 2026
NEWPORT — Newport Hospital & Health Services is updating the River Mountain Village campus to add state-contracted dementia care services in 2026. This new service will be the first in Pend Oreille County and will be housed in the facility at 608 W. 2nd St.
According to Jenny Cooper, Director of Residential Care Services, plans include enhanced security measures, which will require some minor building and grounds modifications. The modifications, expected to cost $150,000, include required security measures necessary to operate the specialized dementia care service. The entire building will be equipped with Wander Guard Access control doors to prevent residents from leaving the facility unsupervised.
Additional modifications include an upgraded call system, a new badge tap system for employees, additional security cameras, and a gated, locked fence.
To provide the best care for residents and meet dementia care program requirements, NHHS will increase staffing and provide all employees with additional memory care training.
Cooper said families of both RMV and the Advanced Care building were notified of the change in December.
She explained that some residents may choose to move to the Advanced Care building and others may qualify to stay in the dementia care facility.
Costs for residents will not be impacted by a change of building, as all pricing is tied to assessed levels of care regulated by DSHS.
Cooper confirmed that in addition to private pay residents, NHHS will continue to accept Washington Medicaid clients for residential care services. These rates are also set according to the resident’s level of care requirements.
When NHHS built River Mountain Village Advanced Care in 2019, the intent was to add memory care services in that building. The pandemic delayed plans considerably as the state could not conduct their onsite surveys and property analysis.
The hospital district is ready to move forward now, albeit in a different building, and the State, along with assistance from Senator Shelly Short, has approved plans to convert River Mountain Village Assisted Living into specialized dementia care assisted living. The facility provides a better environment for residents with dementia than the originally planned location of the advanced care facility. It allows residents to reside in more of a family environment with comfortable touches, along with more cohesive coordinating of residents and visitors.
More information is available at www.NewportHospitalAndHealth. org.
