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Nursing home proposals on the tableBy MaryHelen Swanson Nursing home services are back on the board table in Center City as the county commissioners study proposals from four groups who would like to provide care for the elderly in the North Branch area. At the Jan. 25 board meeting, considerable time was given to listening to the presentations of the following: a team consisting of the Ebenezer Society, Fairview Health Systems and Senior Care Communities; the Board of Social Ministries; Birchwood Companies, Inc.; and Augustana Care Corp. In the coming weeks, the board will be taking into consideration all they learned about the four groups in trying to decide 1) how these proposals will meet the needs of the county, the city, the employees of the current Green Acres Country Care Center (GACCC), the residents of Green Acres and future residents of an area nursing home, 2) if the proposed plans can be implemented and if they are financially sound, 3) if the proposers can provide the plans they have put forth. The board will consider the issue of assisted senior living and the inclusion of a clinic in the plans. Essentially, it was decided last week, it comes down to how much risk the county is willing to take. Each of the four proposals was different. Those proposing total complexes, including assisted living, nursing services and medical facilities, promoted the newer concept of ìneighborhoodî living arrangements. The Ebenezer team proposed a total complex with nursing services provided by Fairview Health Services, although that was not a 100 percent guarantee, and senior living units, although not ìassisted livingî as is commonly understood, according to Jay Jensen of Covenire Care, presenter for the team. Their proposal differs from typical senior facilities, Jensen said, in that people are not moved around as a personís physical condition requires more care, but the care is brought to them in the unit in which they choose to live. This group has recently opened the Colony at Eden Prairie which was the model for the proposal for North Branch. They would offer 80 units of senior living in a 4-story building, and an 80 unit nursing home. They proposed to take over the existing GACCC through a management fee rather than a lease and said they could complete the takeover in 45 days. With construction of the new facility starting in 2005, the opening would be in spring 2006. Covenire Care would manage the facility for the two owners Ebenezer and Fairview. Residents would be able to obtain services in the senior living complex in packages, according to their specific needs. They would purchase the land from the county as well as seek an interest-free loan from the county. The Board of Social Ministries (BSM) currently operating GACCC, offered a plan that would create the senior complex in phases in conjunction with Welcome to Our Home, a senior living development company. BSM offered to purchase the 20.8 acres (the new proposed site of the nursing home) for what the county paid and offered to purchase the current GACCC and adjacent 80 acres for $1. This would immediately transfer all risk and responsibility of ownership to BSM. As Steve Mork pointed out, the financial benefits to the county could potentially be $394,000. Phase 2 of the BSM plan includes a medical clinic and phase 3 a skilled care facility. Construction would begin in 2005. Birchwood Corporation proposed only a nursing home facility, according to company CEO Mariann Wiebusch. When their proposed new 108-bed facility opened in 2006, the county could give up ownership of the nursing home. Their proposed facility would cost $13.7 million. They asked the county for a $2.5 million loan, payable after the debt service on the facility has been satisfied.They did not address the clinic or senior housing. Existing GACCC staff would be offered positions dependent on new occupancy needs, according to the Birchwood proposal. Another option suggested by Wiebusch would be for the county to close the nursing home completely, as the state is encouraging reduction of 500 nursing home beds. Augustana offered a campus plan with a town center concept that would include retail sales for those living in the complex. The Augustana plan called for a total project built all at once to serve all economic levels. They would take over the facility completely when they have incurred three months of stabilized operations. The board agreed to have the county nursing home committee meet with staff from Larson Allen to review the proposals and report their findings at the Feb. 18 meeting. ©ECM Post Review |