FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – Veterans in the Pee Dee will no longer have to look for nursing homes far away.
Construction will soon begin on a $56 million veterans nursing home in Florence.
The nursing home will have 105 private rooms along with a recreation and dining area. It will be located off East National Cemetery Road behind the Florence National Cemetery.
“This is a great addition to the Florence area and the pee dee in general and I’m so glad to get recognition that we have a large population of veterans over here and that some of them will be taking advantage of this,” said. Col. Barry Wingard, Retired Army.
As chair of the joint bond review committee of the South Carolina General Assembly, Senator Hugh Leatherman helped get the veterans nursing home to Florence, where it will be managed by the South Carolina Department of Mental Health.
“One of the great things about having Senator Leatherman who is from Florence is that he assisted us with getting this nursing home here and it will be a great impact for Florence,” said John Galloway, Retired Navy Veteran.
One advantage veterans will have is being closer to home.
“They’ll be a lot closer to their families and to their friends and that alone will make their stay at the nursing home a whole lot better,” Galloway said.
The new facility will also create about 100 jobs.
The South Carolina Department of Mental Health expects the building to open in summer 2021.
“The veterans here are active and supportive in funerals and so forth, and we have a very nice, probably the best in the state, veterans park on the other side of town, so we’re a veteran friendly community,” said Col. Wingard.
