American House Senior Living to Locate in Cottage Hospital

Usually things fall down in the autumn, but in this case something will be going up -- senior housing, to be exact.

Henry Ford Medical Center’s Cottage Hospital will be home to a brand-new development, in partnership with American House Senior Living Communities and REDICO, a national real estate company based in Southfield, which owns American House.

All parties met in March, . Construction will likely begin in the fall, and should be complete late in 2013.

“(The) development ... will provide a much-needed resource for seniors and their caregivers in the Grosse Pointe, Harper Woods and St. Clair Shores communities,” according to a Henry Ford press release.

The second and third floors are being sold to American House, says Paul Szilagyi, Henry Ford’s regional vice president of Primary Care & Medical Centers, and will respectively house 38 and 40 units. The plans include one- and two-bedroom private apartments and studio units for independent seniors on the second floor. The third floor will have the same types of units, but these will be for seniors who need assistance with daily living or who have Alzheimer’s or related conditions.

Residents will have a separate entrance and elevator for their own use, formerly the valet entrance on the north side of Cottage. They’ll be able to enjoy a roof-top garden and easy access to the Hill business and restaurant district, too, not to mention shopping that’s mere moments away. The fourth floor, which does not lend itself well to a residential living arrangement, will be used as a sleep clinic.

“We’re excited about our partnership with American House. It’s a novel way of doing things,” Szilagyi says.

American House CEO Dale Watchowski agrees. “This forward-thinking business model is unique where seniors reside independently in their own apartments, yet are surrounded by medical services, retail stores, banks and restaurants within walking distance. ... (This) will foster an environment that benefits the development as a whole, and provides a breadth of services so very important to senior citizens.”

While seniors will be moving in next year, that doesn’t mean Cottage will be moving out. The facility will maintain its Kercheval and Muir Road entrances, as well as offer access behind the Emergency Department. It will continue to function as an outpatient medical center and offer 24-hour emergency care, women’s health, ambulatory surgery, lab services, radiology, infusion services, sleep clinic, rehabilitation and cancer care. All Cottage services will continue to operate throughout the construction phase.

“The senior housing will complement our medical services offered at Cottage, as well as those services offered next door at the Henry Ford Medical Center-Pierson,” Szilagyi says. Those services include cardiology, gastroenterology, gynecology, internal medicine, orthopedics, rheumatology, and the Assessment Center for Seniors (ACS), which works to improve quality of life for seniors 65 and older, via medical, social and psychological examinations.

Making the area even more silver friendly is the historic Newberry House, located behind Cottage, which will be the new home of Services for Older Citizens. There area seniors can enjoy social and cultural activities, plus health services and support.

Cottage Hospital is located at 159 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe Farms. To learn more visit www.henryford.com/cottage

For more information about American House, visit www.americanhouse.com. To learn more about the housing units and availability, call 248-203-1800, ext. 237, and ask for Barbara Barrel.