By Cate Lecuyer
BEVERLY — A new short-term care unit at Essex Park Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center went from looking like a hospital to a hotel room.
People recovering from medical conditions like a stroke, heart attack or hip replacement will do so surrounded by all the amenities of home.
"We want it to be a place where people can feel comfortable getting their rehab," said Essex Park administrator Ed Stewart.
A yearlong, $2 million renovation includes two living rooms, a kitchen, a reclining spa bathtub, plans for a private gymnasium and 42 climate-controlled bedrooms equipped with phones and flat-screen TVs.
The unit is on the top floor, separate from the long-term care patients.
"It gives them, and the staff, a better focus," Stewart said.
The new unit opened yesterday, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Mayor Bill Scanlon and state Rep. Mary Grant.
"We're all very excited about what's going on here," Stewart said.
