County Board OKs contract for assisted living

BY SARA SYVERSON

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- An assisted living services contract for the Ross Park Apartment complex in Sleepy Eye was approved by the Brown County Board Tuesday.

Assisted living services will be provided by Sleepy Eye Area Home Health, Inc. The Sleepy Eye Care Center will function as an administrative entity to arrange the services and make sure the services go to the right places. The Ross Park facility provides office space. Clients are residents of Ross Park.

The contract, which runs from March 1 to June 30, provides more services as needs increase and allows people to live in their apartments without transferring to a nursing home. Estimates indicate that assisted living costs per month are lower then nursing home costs.

"We have no historical data," said Gary Hjelmstad, who Director of Sleepy Eye Care Center, "We plan on keeping track of costs."

Clients at Ross Park Assisted Living complex would receive assistance from staff in taking their medications. Light housekeeping and other services could be added at an extra cost as needed by the clients.

In other business the board:

* Approved a South Central MR/RC waiver resources partnership policy manual. This partnership could join together Nicollet, Sibley, Watonwan, and Brown counties for providing waiver services.

* Approved membership in the American Public Human Services Association at an annual fee of $300.

* Heard a report by Anita Hoffmann, Director of Public Health on the nationwide shortage of tetanus and diphtheria (Td), adult formulation vaccine. The shortage is blamed on production problems and having only one producer of the vaccine, Hoffmann said. Minnesota Immunization laws requiring a Td booster for all students 11 years of age and older to attend school have been suspended for 2001 and 2002 school years.

* Approved leasing space in the Brown County Probation Building to Brown County Victim Services, which will be located in the building's basement/lower level.

* Approved the purchase of five additional defibrillators from the Medtronic Company.