State Veterans Home

U.S. House Rep. Kathy Manning (D-6th District) came to visit and tour the long-awaited North Carolina State Veterans Home Kernersville, located at 1795 Kernersville Medical Parkway in Kernersville. Manning, who represents Guilford County and eastern Forsyth County, including Kernersville, was impressed with what she saw.
“The department here has done a wonderful job. The facility is just extraordinary. I have been in a lot of veteran’s facilities, and this is one of the best I have been in,” Manning said.
The opening of the facility has been delayed for a variety of reasons, some of which were due to the outbreak of Covid, but it is now well on its way to finally opening.
Manning has been petitioning on behalf of the State Veterans Home, which included a letter on Oct. 24 to the NC Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NCDMVA) requesting an update on the estimated date the home will be operational. The department provided Rep. Manning’s office answers to each of the questions and explained why the opening of the facility has been delayed.
Officials at the North Carolina State Veterans Home Kernersville stated the construction will be completed by late winter and the facility is expected to open in early 2023. Initially, the target date for opening the facility was last spring. In July, NCDMVA Assistant Secretary for Veterans Affairs Terry Westbrook said opening was delayed due to the lack of a certificate of occupancy for the facility from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Manning stated the following in her letter to the NCDMVA:
“I respectfully request you provide an update on the progress of this facility and an estimated date the home will be operational. I am committed to working together to help ensure that we can provide our veterans with the care and support they have earned. Our North Carolina State Veterans Homes are critical to meeting the needs of our aging veteran population. The Kernersville State Veterans Home will provide 120 beds for veterans in private rooms, allowing them to receive the high-quality care that they earned and deserve. The Kernersville facility is set to become the second-largest facility in our state, helping more veterans to age-in-place and receive specialized care including access to therapy, wound and pain management, and a dedicated staff to assist veterans and their families in accessing VA benefits.”
Officials at the North Carolina State Veterans Home Kernersville stated they have already received over a hundred requests from veterans who wish to come here once the facility is fully operational.
The funding for the facility comes from a $25.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the construction of the new facility through the State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program funded by Congress in the Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Funding bill.
The facility will have everything needed for the care of veterans and some things that many veterans’ homes do not have. Twenty-four of the 120 rooms will be for the memory care of veterans. All of the beds will be remote controlled and adjustable to suit the needs of the veterans. The negative pressure wing is something most veteran’s facilities do not have. The facility features a main courtyard and two other courtyards, and a plethora of entertainment options for the veterans that will be living there. Phones and a television will be in every room and this will be of no charge to the veterans. All needs, including free haircuts, will be accounted for. One room that staff will rarely be in is the fire/sprinkle room, but it is special for a reason. On the wall in the room is the signatures of all the people, including many veterans, that have worked to make this facility a reality.