February 11, 2008 at 8:43 a.m.
Care facility gives legislators the inside scoop on concerns, needs
Care facility gives legislators the inside scoop on concerns, needs
Linnea Residence Board of Directors invited Rep. Kalin and Sen. Olseen to visit the Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) meet residents, staff and experience how Linnea operates. Linnea Residence Board members were there, along with a couple founding Linnea Residence family members Mr. and Mrs. Sumner Johnson. Their 44-year-old daughter resides at Linnea, which is a few blocks south of Hwy. 8 on Old Towne Road.
Linnea was established by community members in 1979. There are 12 residents at this time, ages 17 to 87, but most are in their 40s and 50s. This is one of the issues the legislators came to learn about; how the aging of this populace of mentally-handicapped affects programming.
Kalin and Olseen also heard about the need for cost of living increases for staff, and a funding mechanism that doesn't leave people in the care industry battling for appropriations year after year. The Linnea site has 10 fulltime and about as many part time employees.
Director Scott Foss, who oversees Linnea and a smaller ICF in Taylors Falls, told Kalin and Olseen the method of funding also needs to be reviewed. The per diem payments, for example, are based on every single day the client is in his or her bed. Foss said the facility can't afford to send a client to camp, for instance, because the loss of revenue for the days the client is out of the building undermines the budget. Foss said directors understand the need for revenue reduction if a bed is vacant, but therapeutic "leaves" need to be allowed.
Rep. Kalin also spoke about on-going election and balloting initiatives under his committee on elections that will impact the disabled and those with limited development.
Comments:
Commenting has been disabled for this item.