Parkview Home in Belview, Minnesota completes its transformation next week when the last item of their rebuilding and renovation takes place.  Last July 1^st, and then a week later, Parkview (and the town of Belview) was hit first by an EF-1 tornado, and then a severe thunderstorm with damaging straight-line winds.  The roof was stripped off of the skilled care portion of the home and dumped unceremoniously into the courtyard, and torrential rains soaked the interior.  A week later, the temporary tarps were ripped away, and again torrential downpours added more headaches.  Fortunately, residents had just finished eating and were in the dining room, and no one was injured.  Staff calmly escorted the residents to the adjacent attached assisted living dining room.  Most residents were not aware that their home had just been severely damaged.  As a result of the damage, the skilled care portion of this facility was uninhabitable, and residents had to be relocated to facilities in surrounding communities.  After considerable time and effort, and a committed effort by the City of Belview, the administrator, and a dedicated staff, the doors are once again open, and the facility has undergone a complete interior facelift (plus a new roof).  It is a testament not only to their dedication, but also to the dedication of smaller communities to be committed to providing care for our seniors.  Congratulations to you, Parkview!

Has everyone adjusted to the cuts in Medicare yet?  Don’t take me wrong, it’s a big adjustment and almost all facilities have had to make hard choices to make up the differences.  Finding new revenue streams, or enhancing existing ones are obvious paths rather than to compromise the quality and level of care offered.  Outsourcing is an option, but must be carefully considered in community perception.  In any event, the “times they are still a changing”, and we in care for the aging have to keep adapting and scrambling.