In a joint statement issued this week, the proposed senior facility Navigator Homes of Martha’s Vineyard and Boston-based Hebrew SeniorLife announced their partnership in managing the upcoming facility.
Navigator Homes, slated for Edgartown, will replace the current Windemere Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, the only nursing home on Martha’s Vineyard.
The collaboration for the project comes as the Island is experiencing a significant and continuous increase in the elderly population — residents 65 years and older make up a third of the Vineyard’s population — with local organizations strategizing on how to meet the growing demand for senior care.
The facility will house up to 70 residents throughout its five buildings, which will be built in the community-oriented Green House model.
Harvard Medical School-affiliated Hebrew SeniorLife, currently operating mainly out of the greater-Boston area, cares for seniors across a number of rehabilitation centers, in addition to providing training for future health care professionals.
The project cleared a significant hurdle in November, when it was granted the greenlight by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, but will require further approval by local and state agencies before construction and opening. The facility is scheduled to open in summer 2025, pending the necessary approvals.
“We are honored to enter into this agreement with Hebrew SeniorLife, which has set the gold standard for senior care in the Boston area,” Navigator Homes of Martha’s Vineyard Treasurer Polly Brown said in the statement.
