Big changes are in the works for Pleasantview Home in Kalona as they look to expand and improve their facilities.

To better serve current and future residents, the nonprofit retirement community is looking to build new memory care and assisted living spaces. The new memory care facility would move residents from the third floor of the main building to a new expanded section of the first floor that would include 16 new units. The main building would then be renovated to include 28 assisted living apartments. Director of Advancement Larry Swartenzdruber says that Pleasantview has been trying for the past 20 to 30 years to get the memory care addition. Other projects include  a community center addition and parking lot extension on the west side of campus, physical therapy suites and moving the kitchen to a more centralized area. Swartzendruber says that while all projects are important, some have higher priority than others, “I think of the most important pieces to the puzzle is the assisted living portion. Just to provide that link between independent living and full nursing care. There are going to be other things that feed off of that. Behind that or equal to that in terms of importance is the memory care addition.”

Pleasantview currently houses 53 residents with a capacity of 57. After the memory care and assisted living expansions have been completed, they will be able to house 98 residents in total. Work on the west and north sides of the campus have already begun. Pleasantview is continuing to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help finance the projects. Swartzendruber says that they are applying for local grants to help fund the different projects but the biggest financial help has been through gifts and donations. He says that they hope to get the full “go ahead” signal from the USDA soon to begin further construction before the end of the year.