By Lori Ehde
The waiting lists at The Oaks congregate living in Luverne and at Tuff Village assisted living in Hills are longer than the number of units available at each senior housing facility.
Meanwhile, Minnesota is pushing to close or downsize nursing homes statewide, creating even further demand for more senior housing options.
To meet demand in Luverne, a 24-unit assisted living facility will be built adjacent to the Oaks on property to the north of the existing apartments.
"We have been working on assisted living almost since The Oaks were built, because we knew then there was a need," Linda Studer said Monday during a public meeting announcing the plans.
Studer is administrator of Good Samaritan Communities of Luverne and oversaw The Oaks project, which was completed four years ago.
Congregate living is for seniors who can live independently but need help with some home care needs. For example, The Oaks provides one meal per day and housekeeping services.
Housing licensed under the assisted living umbrella provides more services for more dependent residents. For example, three meals a day are standard, and more health and home care services are provided.
Both congregate and assisted living arrangements are tailored to meet tenants' needs, but some are better suited for one arrangement over the other.
Assisted living tenants often move to nursing homes when their needs require services beyond what the apartments can provide.
Growing old waiting
The Oaks congregate living, which opened in 1997, currently houses 34 tenants, and there are typically 30 to 40 names on the waiting list.
Tuff Village assisted living opened last year in Hills with 19 units. There are 20 to 25 names on the waiting list there.
Some residents from The Oaks have moved to Tuff Village when their health required higher levels of care.
The alternative, Studer said, is nursing home care, and many who move into nursing homes don't necessarily need that level of care.
"The whole point is to have seniors remain in a home-based setting as long as possible," she said.
The cost of living in a nursing home at the lowest level of care is nearly double what it costs for rent in assisted living. There are currently 10 residents in the Mary Jane Brown Home who would qualify for assisted living.
She said people are seeing the wisdom in planning their own senior housing in advance.
"It's not just what people need for housing today; it's what people in their 50s and 60s will need 15 years from now," she said. "These are the children of our Oaks tenants."
About the money ...
The soonest assisted living will be available in Luverne is 18 months, and that's only if funding is secured.
The project is estimated to cost $3.2 million, and 75 percent of the $850,000 in equity needs to be secured before work can begin.
Studer said $500,000 has already been saved for the project, and she applied for a $250,000 Community Services grant through the Minnesota Department of Health.
Assuming the grant eventually is approved, Mary Jane Brown will still need to raise $100,000 in donations - at least that much.
"The more we can offer in equity, the lower our interest rates will be and the less rent we'll have to charge," Studer said.
She's hoping to have all funding secured by May 1 so that groundbreaking can begin July 1. The building wouldn't be ready for occupancy until the following year.
"The longer it takes us to raise funds, the longer it will take to build," Studer said. "It's an awesome task to fund-raise these kinds of dollars."
She said Mary Jane Brown is a non-profit organization, so all donations are tax-deductible.
She said Good Samaritan Society, through resource development consultants, can offer creative options for tax-free donations.
For example, donors can consider rolling over stock options, and one local resident gave property that Mary Jane Brown was able to sell for cash.
"If one family is able to donate $250,000, we'll give them the option of having the facility named after them," Studer said.
Details and amenities
The single-story building will be connected to The Oaks through a walkway attached to The Oaks north-side patio.
The two buildings will not be joined as one, but tenants will be able to share spaces like the exercise and therapy area.
The building will be staffed with trained home-health aides 24 hours a day, and a registered nurse will be on site 20 hours a week and on call 24 hours a day.
The facility will have a full kitchen so independent meals can be prepared on site, but some meals will be brought in from the Mary Jane Brown kitchen.
The facility will offer 20 one-bedroom units and four two-bedroom units.
Rental costs, based on an average service package, are estimated to range from $1,700 to $2,200 per month. The more health and housekeeping services a resident needs, the higher the rent he or she will pay.
Good Samaritan Communities of Luverne is working with Rock County Family Services to utilize alternative care grants and elderly waivers in order to make the units more affordable to a wider range of people.
Luverne's project is modeled very closely after the one that recently opened in Windom. Future tours of those apartments are planned, and Studer said she welcomes interested community members to ride along.
Call The Oaks at 283-1996 to reserve a seat on a van to Windom or for more information on Luverne's assisted living plans. Rhona Snyder, The Oaks housing manager, is already taking names for the assisted living waiting list.