Expansion of Gerontopsychiatry at St. Elisabeth Lahnstein, ELT

The planned measure concerns St. Elisabeth in Lahnstein, which was taken over by the Brothers of Mercy. As part of the expansion of psychiatric care, the third floor of the existing building will undergo a comprehensive core renovation to establish a gerontopsychiatric ward. The basis for the planning is the approval decision for inclusion in the hospital plan of Rhineland-Palatinate dated 10.07.2025, which assigns twenty additional inpatient beds to the location. These twenty additional beds will be divided into two single rooms, two isolation single rooms, and eight double rooms, each with its own barrier-free bathroom. A gerontopsychiatric ward specifically treats elderly people with mental health conditions such as dementia, depression, or anxiety disorders. The rooms are to be designed to be barrier-free and clearly laid out to provide patients with maximum safety and orientation. In addition to the patient rooms, common areas, nursing workstations, and functional rooms are planned. Key requirements include barrier-free access according to DIN 18040 and an age- and dementia-friendly design with non-slip floors, clear contrasts, and intuitive orientation systems. The existing reinforced concrete structure in a shear wall construction will largely be retained but adapted for the new room layout. The facade will be opened during the window replacement but ultimately retained. As part of the renovation, the existing windows are to be replaced with new thermal insulation glazing with an integrated locking function. PV and solar thermal modules are planned for the main roof. Therefore, a new waterproofing may be necessary. The prerequisites for this will be considered in the planning; however, concrete planning or implementation of PV systems, solar thermal, or heat pumps is not currently planned. The current installation should be carried out in such a way that later adjustments are avoided as much as possible. The interior fittings are to be completely renewed, including floor coverings, wall, and ceiling finishes. In addition to the main work on the third floor, connection work on the risers of the adjacent floors will be necessary. The gross floor area of the floor is 1,225.68 m². The approved usable area (NF) according to the room program dated 11.11.2025 is 719 m². In the target plan dated 21.11.2025, an implemented usable area of 817.46 m² NF was shown. The room concept is based on the existing room program and includes therapy and examination facilities as well as ancillary rooms. Further information can be found in Appendix 11 "Feasibility Study Compilation St. Elisabeth Lahnstein".