Democracy on the Front Lines
City Administrator’s Blog
Walter Denton
January 18, 2008
The big issue of the week has been the closing of the Covenant Care Nursing Facility. As of last week, there were rumors and whispers about the facility but the news was considered to be speculative. As of this morning, we were told that all residents would be moved out and the facility would be closed by the end of next week.
I understand that facilities must close if they cannot make enough money to operate, but this is sad for Covenant Care’s residents and for O’Fallon. The residents have no doubt built friendships and will now be separated. O’Fallon is diminished because there is now no nursing facility in town. O’Fallon residents do not have a convenient location to visit loved ones who need to be in a nursing facility.
From a regulatory standpoint, the City has very little to do with nursing facilities. They are approved, regulated, and inspected by the state. We have some property maintenance authority, but the state regulates the closure of nursing facilities.
You may remember that the City sold land along Green Mount Road five years ago to Delmar Gardens to build a senior living complex. Delmar Gardens has been unable to receive a certificate of need from the state to build their facility. One would think that the closure of Covenant Care would highlight the need for the Delmar Gardens project, but only time will tell.
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