Glens Falls Business Journal
By Carol Ann Conover
Amy McByrne started working at Warren County’s Countryside Adult Home straight out of high school, thinking she was taking a gap year. Thirty-five years later, she is the facility’s director.
“I thought I was taking a gap year,” McByrne said. “And then all of a sudden it’s, yeah, I’m 20, and I’m like, you know, I really love what I do. And it just became — yeah, this is it, this is me.”
The facility, at 353 Schroon River Road in Warrensburg, is a 48-bed adult home owned and operated by Warren County and regulated by the New York State Department of Health. It operates on a social model of care — not acute medical care — designed for individuals who need supervision, medication assistance, transportation to appointments, help with personal care and access to nutritious meals but who do not require skilled nursing.
Beyond residential services, Countryside operates an adult day care program, offers respite care and serves as the production site for the Warren County Office for the Aging’s Meals on Wheels program. The facility prepares about 100 meals a day, five days a week, for delivery by Office for the Aging staff and volunteers throughout the Warrensburg and Chestertown areas.
The state reimburses 50% of operating costs. The daily resident rate is $158.08, set by the state. Those who cannot pay contribute their income instead; the facility applies for Medicaid temporary assistance on behalf of Warren County residents whose resources fall at or below $3,700.
An on-site provider through Hudson Headwaters Health Network visits weekly. Residents may retain their own primary care physician, and Countryside provides transportation for outside appointments. Physical and occupational therapy and wound care are arranged through outside providers as needed.
Days at Countryside are built around meals, activities and socialization — exercise classes, crafts, games and discussions fill the morning hours, and outings and special events are woven throughout.
Outings are a regular part of life at Countryside. This past winter, residents attended hockey games. Last summer, they went out on boats. Trips to restaurants are common and organized through the activities department. The facility also runs a pen pal program with students at Bolton Landing School and recently hosted a joint bingo night with The Landing using an outdoor movie projector set up indoors.
“Getting them engaged in the community is our number one priority,” McByrne said.
The facility completed a $4.6 million capital improvement project in 2023, covering structural, HVAC and amenity upgrades. McByrne described the result as a homelike setting, with a living room-style lobby, a large activity room, an expansive dining room, a family room, a game room, outdoor patio spaces and a pond area.
Visitor hours run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with flexibility extended as needed. Families are welcome to use facility spaces for gatherings; McByrne asks only that they call ahead.
Admissions follow a prescreening process to match prospective residents to the appropriate level of care. Most referrals come from the community or through Hudson Headwaters. Those needing more intensive support are referred to skilled nursing facilities.
The facility currently has some openings.
What distinguishes Countryside as much as its programs is the continuity of its staff. The facility employs 35 people and averages 20 years of employee tenure. Four retired staff members have returned to work part time. Several colleagues McByrne began working alongside 35 years ago are still there.
“My residents know who’s going to be there at Monday morning to give them their shower, who’s going to be working Saturday afternoon to put a movie in for them,” McByrne said. “They know it’s not going to change unless it’s time for them to retire.”
New staff members complete at least 80 hours of in-house training in personal care, medication assistance and residents’ rights, plus 12 hours of state-required continuing education annually.
“Seeing a resident come here and blossoming,” she said. “They weren’t following their diet or they weren’t getting the nutritious meals or they weren’t getting their medications or they weren’t getting to the doctors. And they’re here six months and it’s like a totally different person. I think that’s my favorite thing, knowing the type of impact that we have and how we can change one person’s life completely.”
McByrne said her primary goal is raising awareness. Because the facility sits outside the region’s population centers, many who could benefit from its residential, day care or respite services — or whose loved ones receive Meals on Wheels prepared in its kitchen — do not know it exists.
“I want them to know that we’re here, that we offer respite, that we offer daycare,” she said. “If you need resources, call us. We’ll — sometimes we can’t offer them an admission here, but I give them whatever knowledge I have to help them, maybe lead them to where they need to be to get what they need for their loved one or even themselves.”
Countryside Adult Home is at 353 Schroon River Road, Warrensburg, NY 12885. The facility can be reached by phone at 518-623-3451. Those interested in volunteering may ask for activities coordinators Lori Durkin or Faye Perry. Inquiries about Meals on Wheels enrollment should be directed to the Warren County Office for the Aging.