Residents Must Leave Good Samaritan Nursing Home In Clearbrook By December
In less than 60 days, the Good Samaritan Society nursing home in Clearbrook will be no more. At an early October meeting, representatives from Good Samaritan informed employees, residents and families that the facility will shut down on Dec. 8.
“To be losing them is going to be hard on the families, all the people that have loved ones in there,” said Clearbrook Interim Mayor Dylan Goudge. “So it takes away from our local economy here. Instead of having to get gas in town, you have to get gas elsewhere.”
Devin Aakre has close ties with the more than 55-year-old facility. He says his great-grandfather donated the land to build it.
“Just to basically up and walk away, I mean, I just, I don’t understand why another path wouldn’t have been looked at,” said Aakre.
Mayor Goudge says he was told the reason for the closure has something to do with the facility not meeting the fire codes.
No one would speak on camera with us, but Good Samaritan Society sent us a statement. It reads in part “Because of changes in senior care regulations, the long-term issues have generated significant challenges resulting in the unfortunate decision to close this facility.”
“They have gotten their use out of the facility 50-60 years without putting anything back into it and so it had ran its course and they were going to walk away,” said Aakre.
Aakre says his grandfather, Harlan, loves the outdoors and he visits him everyday. His grandfather was a resident up until last Wednesday when he had to move out.
For Grandma, she’s got further to drive,” said Aakre. “A lot of his friends, some were stopping by a couple times a week, now it might be once a month.”
Residents like Harlan have found a new home in Bagley at Cornerstone Residence Senior Care. Sherry Peterson, who spent 15 years as the Director of Nursing at Good Samaritan, says they want to provide comfort for families during this difficult time.
“We know most of the people coming to us and certainly their families,” said Peterson. “It’s really been, I think a smooth transition.”
Cornerstone offers memory care and assisted living resources and gives former Good Samaritan residents another option.
“We’re local. People don’t have to move away to down in the [Twin] Cities or somewhere far away from their family; we can be close enough that people can visit and that they know their loved ones are near,” said Cornerstone Housing Manager Kristi Girtz.
The closure will displace about 30 residents and 50 employees, but the entire community will deal with the long-term effects.
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