Weinberg Campus responds to changing needs in senior health care
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Weinberg Campus President David Dunkelman stands at one of the eight specialized buildings, treating the many stages of aging. The company, first founded in 1915 in Buffalo, has grown to serve 750 residents. Photo by Joe Eberle Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Senior care and lifestyles are changing. What was once "a way of life" is no longer "life as we know it."

At Weinberg Campus, the mission has been to provide care to seniors at various levels. From independent living in Weinberg apartments to dementia units, eight specialized facilities make up the extensive campus.

The first building at 2700 N. Forest Road was built in 1993 and has grown to a community cluster. Weinberg was the former Rosa Coplan Home at Symphony Circle in Buffalo, founded in 1915.

"The life expectancy has doubled. Even those who are frail live longer," president and CEO David Dunkelman said.

In Amherst, approximately 18 percent of the population is 65 and older.

Care for seniors was slow to respond to the new needs, Dunkelman said. Facilities weren't able to offer the level of care needed for the large numbers who needed it.

On 130 acres of land, Weinberg continues to grow. The number of rooms will be increasing to 850, from 700, beginning this fall. He expects the population on the Weinberg Campus to reach 1,200-1,500 in the future.

Dunkelman said it is currently the single largest health campus in the region.

"We have built a series of specialized buildings, designed for different profiles of people," he said.

Dunkelman described the way of life in the traditional nursing home - where residents rarely left their floors, rooms were bare and resembled hospitals, and programs weren't offered.

Today, the mission is about integrating care. Dunkelman said he traveled the country looking for facilities to model Weinberg after.

Weinberg offers adult day programs, long-term home health care services, short-term rehabilitation, home care services to residents off-campus, low-income apartments and a variety of options for independent living.

"Everything for aging. All in one place," has become Weinberg's motto.

This month marks the 14th anniversary of Weinberg's move to Amherst.

It employs 650 staff members.

"It's outstanding how many people are living so much longer," Dunkelman said. "We have five to 10 residents who are 100 and older, and those in their 80s are youngsters."

Weinberg has been the only nursing home in the country to be awarded the Peter F. Drucker Award for Non-Profit Innovation.

For information, visit online at www.weinbergcampus.org or call 639-3311.