Month: May 2021

The post CROOKSTON CITY COUNCILMEMBER KRISTIE JERDE INVITES CITIZENS TO ATTEND LISTENING SESSIONS appeared first on KROX.

Benedictine Living Community (BLC)-Crookston, formally known as Villa St. Vincent, is pleased to announce The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has rated our organization as a 5 STAR Facility.  BLC-Crookston is a short-term rehabilitation, long-term residential, and specialized memory care community which also includes The SUMMIT Assisted Living.  The BLC Campus, on the east side of town, is ever-evolving and enhancing care and services to best meet the needs of the local population.

Executive Director, Judy Hulst, a 41-year employee who started as an LPN Team Leader states, “The Five-Star Quality Rating System is a tool to help consumers, their families and caregivers evaluate nursing homes.  We could not be more pleased.  It is based on Department of Health Survey outcomes, staffing, and quality of care measures,” said Hulst. “Our team offers a large array of services so that people do not have to travel to find quality medical care, rehab services, and specialized memory care.  We manage complex conditions and skilled services including peritoneal dialysis, wound management, and IV medication administration, to name just a few.  Our Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists are busy every day treating and rehabbing our residents so as to attain a higher quality of life.”

Hulst goes on to discuss the difficult challenges when a person or their loved ones are faced with the question if a current living situation is appropriate for the health and safety of an individual. “Even beyond the 5 Star Rating program on www.medicare.gov, there are other VERY important factors that should also be part of the decision-making process.” 

This includes information such as:

• Resident/family satisfaction data
• Infection prevention protocols
• Types of specialty care available
• Longevity of staff
• Rehabilitation success
• Experience in the senior care industry
• Workplace safety initiatives
• Community awards or recognition
• History of serving the local community.

Such questions can be discussed by setting up a visit with the nursing home, which includes time to talk in more depth with key staff and arrange a tour. 

Admission Coordinator, Judith Meyer, LSW, states that often people, after a hospitalization, are seeking transitional care on a temporary basis to continue to recover from an acute illness, accident, or injury.  “After they have regained strength and independence, they are able to return home,” said Meyer. “Do your research and ask the right questions, it can help you decide which living environment is right for you, your family, or a loved one.  We are here to serve you.”

According to Meyer, beyond the therapy offered on-site, there are many benefits, including individualized care plans, nutritious meals, health and wellness programs, telehealth/telemed services, spiritual support, housekeeping/laundry services, enrichment/activity programs, and many other offerings. “Oftentimes, seniors and their families wish they’d made the move to a senior care community earlier, appreciating the quality care, security, and peace of mind such a move provides,” said Meyer. “Living Fully, Living Well is what we are about.”

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Most anybody that has had the honor of living in Crookston the past few decades has more than likely enjoyed catching Liz Thompson in action sharing her singing and musical talents in the community. 

Liz’s life journey began in Fargo.  Both her older sisters were in high school when Liz was born. Her Grandparents spoke only Norwegian so communicating could be challenging at times.   Liz’s virtuoso was apparent quite early; she began her “solo career” at 5 years old when she sang “Jesus Loves Me” for her church.  She played violin in the orchestra and sang in the Choir through school.

Liz met her husband Ron when she was a freshman at Moorhead State University in Teachers School.  They married in 1953 and went on to have five children; Barbara, Beth, David, Jennifer, and Karen, five grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.   While living in student housing the Thompson’s connected with lifelong friends Ed and Nancy Melbye.  Careers in teaching brought both families to Crookston.

Liz stayed busy, not only as a wife and mother but through her work and volunteerism.  Liz was an integral part in the formation and continued development of the DAC, an organization that has touched the lives of many in our region.  Liz was often called upon to sing at weddings and funerals.  The Crookston Community Theater productions, frequently set the stage for Liz to share her accomplished theatrical skills and gifted vocals (who can forget her performance as Mother Superior in the Sound of Music, 1983?) Liz’s daughter Karen adds, “you would often hear mom singing or playing piano, Broadway tunes and hymns were her favorite.”  Liz was active at Trinity Lutheran Church on the music and worship board, the Praise Singers, the Performing Arts Board and Artist Series.

Liz enjoys reminiscing. She values her longtime friendship with her childhood friend Audrey, whom she met in Sunday School, they still remain very close today.   Liz was honored to be the Golden Link featured “Older American” and enjoyed the many parades and fairs representing Crookston.   A trip to Norway with daughter Beth was also a real highlight as well as many other travel experiences.  When asked if she had advice for other moms, Liz was eager to offer, “Always listen and talk to your children; and make sure they get a good education and religious upbringing.”

Liz’s mom Bessie lived in the former Villa’s “Board and Care” many decades ago. While Liz loves her “beautiful apartment” at The SUMMIT and the “sense of community” she adds she is very thankful that the most difficult part of the pandemic is past us as it could be lonely without all of her family; but she was thankful for her friends at The SUMMIT to visit with.  Liz enjoys that youngest daughter Karen is the Activity Director for Benedictine.   “We are ever so thankful to have both talented Thompsons here at Villa St. Vincent and The SUMMIT.” Adds Administrator Judy Hulst.

During the month of May, in honor of Mother’s Day, The SUMMIT AL is highlighting tenants who have children/grandchildren who work at Benedictine.

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The Polk County Commissioners met Tuesday morning at the Polk County Transfer Station.

The commissioners heard from Mark Dietz (Polk County Facilities) and Andy Larson (Polk County Corrections) with an update on the condition of the Juvenile Center after water damage less than two weeks ago.  Dietz told the commissioners that the non-secure side of the building would have to be gutted. The earliest they could have the project started would be in the fall at the earliest. “We have had this happen to us twice now, where we are replacing a roof, and we get a rain event, and it was a big one.  It pretty much washed everything out of the building, so we are cleaning it out,” said Polk County Administrator Chuck Whiting. “I was in there Monday, studs are being taken out, there is no power in the building, the kids have been moved to other facilities in northwest Minnesota.” 

Whiting said the County’s insurance is working with the roofing company’s insurance.  “We’ve had our insurance adjusters in.  Our insurance company is working with the roofer’s insurance company, we are trying to get the roof done, and the workers are doing that, and we have the cleanup contractors in,” said Whiting. “We informed the board about everything, and we have to wait and see what the costs are going to be for repairing everything and getting it back up to snuff. It will probably take the rest of the year to get that facility back up and running.”

Whiting also went through the 2022 budget outlook with the commissioners.  “We have a number of things that are routine, including our labor contracts to negotiate. We have to deal with our recovery money we have been given and how to use that,” said Whiting. “How are we going to keep the levy from going up to much, we have some staffing changes, and we will be seeing a lot of retirements over the next few years, so we are doing some succession planning and positioning people for success going forward.”

The Commissioners approved a passive gas vent system at the Polk County Landfill at the cost of $54,850 from Zavorals of East Grand Forks.  The county saves about $10,000 because Kittson County is doing the same project, and they will be done at the same time. “As we plan for the construction of the new landfill cell next year, we purchased ahead of time the cover for the existing portion of the landfill.  That will keep the water and the snowmelt out of the waste, and we purchased it when it was cheap last winter. There is another landfill doing the same work, and now we have to put these gas vents in the landfill before we put the cover over the top so we can allow the gas inside to get out,” said Polk County Environmental Services Director Jon Steiner. “We are doing that in conjunction with the Markit landfill (which serves Marshall and Kittson County), so we got a quote for that, and we both will save for doing it at the same time.”

Steiner talked about the need for wetland replacement credits at the landfill, and the board approved the purchase.  “Part of our permit that we got in 2015, we had the footprint for the landfill for about the next 50 years.  Included in that is some wetlands in the area, and it has been quite the process in figuring out what we have to do there with all the agencies involved,” said Steiner. “We had an impact from a borrow pit north of the area from years ago that we have to deal with, and the state decided they want us to separate the two, and we went to the board to get approval to purchase wetland credits for under one acre of the impact that we had from eight years ago.”

Like many businesses, Polk County Environmental Services is having a tough time finding workers, and they are looking at other options to fill the job openings.  Steiner informed the board they are looking into the possibility of having robots do some of the work. “We have to keep the facility in Fosston running, so we are looking into some automated equipment, which they refer to as robots, that could do some of the work for us if we can’t find people to do it,” said Steiner. “We did two things.  We put in a grant request like we did when we built the new transfer station in Crookston and the improvements we did in Fosston.  That is more of a long-term thing, so we put in an earmark for doing a whole project over there for robotics and some other upgrades.  We may have to do something now in the short term, so we are meeting with some robotics companies to see what they can do.  We are about five to six people short over there, so we don’t have much room to lose somebody else, and we would have to stop operations.”

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