Renewal is Barclay Friends’ focus, as it has been since the tragic events of November 2017.  We began welcoming residents back to the Cotter skilled nursing community on Monday, April 2nd and look forward to accepting post-acute rehabilitation guests on Friday, April 13th.

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions to share:

Was the Cotter building damaged by the fire?

While the Cotter building, which houses Barclay Friends’ skilled nursing care program, was largely protected by a firewall, it did sustain some water damage from the Nov. 16th fire that destroyed the adjoining Woolman residential living and personal care building.

When can residents begin moving back in to the Cotter building?

Barclay Friends senior living community has reopened its Cotter building. Cotter was repaired and renovated, and residents began moving back on April 2nd.  We will continue to welcome returning and new residents over the coming weeks and months.

Have the Cotter building’s fire safety systems been updated and inspected?

As the safety and wellbeing of our residents remains paramount, we have taken several steps to prepare for Cotter’s reopening.  A new fire alarm system has been installed.  All of the Life Safety systems in the building were inspected by multiple local and state authorities—including experts from Pennsylvania’s Department of Health, Life Safety Division—to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations regarding fire safety.

What other inspections have taken place prior to reopening?

The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Nursing, has inspected Cotter before reopening.  The West Chester Fire Marshall and Code Enforcement Officer inspected the building before reopening as well.

Is the staff receiving any additional training?

Staff training has always been a top priority across all operational areas including fire safety. We will continue to hold regular fire drills and life safety training so residents and staff alike are attentive to what they need to do if there is ever any kind of emergency.  Additionally, we will continue to participate in countywide emergency and disaster drills to ensure that Barclay Friends managers are able to coordinate an emergency response with resources available in the larger community.

Will the Woolman building be rebuilt?

A separate project team is working to design a new facility to be built where the Woolman building once stood.  We hope to begin construction sometime next year so that Barclay Friends can renew its mission to care for individuals who need assistance with daily living in the West Chester area.

We will be sharing more information about our development plans in the near future—community is an essential value in the Quaker tradition that makes Barclay Friends a great place to live, work and share.