Alzheimer’s care wing planned

Spring Arbor Outer Banks plans to build a new Alzheimer’s care wing that will expand the 72-bed assisted-living facility in Kill Devil Hills by 30 beds.

The Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners on Monday approved a conditional use permit for the 1,024-square-foot wing, which will be combined with existing space.

“These facilities are wonderful,” said Mayor Ray Sturza. “We do have an aging population.”

One point of confusion was whether Spring Arbor would be required to make tracking bracelets available for all 30 of the beds. The devices are used to locate patients who might wander off.

Bo Cooke of HH Hunt, the company that runs Spring Arbor, said he understood the devices were optional. The board accepted his offer to supply five of them to the Kill Devil Hills Police Department and to make five available at the facility to families that might need them.

Cooke said the wing would use industry-accepted standards for keeping residents secure. Doors would be locked, but in the event of a fire, an alarm would unlock the doors and staff would be trained to keep patients together.

“We’re doing what we can to make sure they’re safe in our facility,” he said.

Spring Arbor would be able to take in 100 people altogether, but Cooke said the population would probably reach no more than the mid-80s to 90.

The project will also add six parking spaces.