Defining the need

Volunteers of America National Services has served as the sponsor for a successful continuous care retirement community, Gulf Coast Village in Cape Coral, for over 30 years and is now pleased that The Preserve is open in Fort Myers! As the population in Southwest Florida has grown, the need for services for older adults has risen. Through collaboration with Lee Health and Hope Healthcare, Volunteers of America National Services identified this need and answered the need by opening The Preserve.

In this area, nearly 300 people are in need of skilled nursing care per day. Skilled rehabilitation centers are operating at full capacity, which means hospitals are unable to transition people to the care they need. Plus, new Medicare guidelines regulating length of stay in hospitals have put pressure on the system. As a result, hospitals need to discharge patients faster and people are arriving at rehab centers requiring highly-skilled care.

Artist rendition of The Preserve

The Preserve is part of Hope Preserve, a newly developed health care network of providers dedicated to caring for older adults and people with clinically-complex health needs.

Hope Preserve is just one mile from Gulf Coast Medical Center, a state-of-the-art hospital.

Responding to the call

In 2015, the governor released a Certificate of Need (CON) for 75 skilled nursing rooms. Volunteers of America National Services responded to this need and was awarded the responsibility because of its reputation and history of providing high-quality care. The result is The Preserve, a three-story, 118,000-square-foot community offering assisted living, memory support and 75 skilled nursing suites for long-term care, skilled nursing memory support and skilled rehabilitation. With this continuum of living options, residents can stay at The Preserve as medical needs change.

As a non-profit organization, Volunteers of America National Services is able to offer a number of affordable skilled nursing suites for Medicaid patients. This is another way Volunteers of America National Services can serve the community.

With the completion of The Preserve, along with Gulf Coast Village in Cape Coral, Volunteers of America National Services now has 332 independent living apartments, 140 assisted living apartments, 90 assisted living memory support suites and 244 skilled nursing rooms, 38 of which are dedicated to skilled memory support. This impact gives the strength needed to attract quality employees—currently employing 480 people and will employ 900+ by 2022. These exceptional people care for our residents and contribute to the quality of life in cities of Southwest Florida.

Assisted Living | Memory Support

The Preserve First Floor

First Floor
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Skilled Rehabilitation

The Preserve Second Floor

Second Floor
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Long-Term Care

The Preserve Third Floor

Third Floor
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