Non-profit organization supports the transition from nursing home to independent living

Joan Remy, a high school senior from Steamboat Springs, has been recovering from major surgery for a year and has no answer to the question of where she will live next.

Remy is one of 32 residents on Medicaid currently living at Casey’s Pond Senior Living’s nursing facility. Her deadline to move out is October 27.

“What happens if I can’t find housing?” asked Remy, a retired executive assistant. “If people can’t find housing, they can’t just put us out on the street, can they?”

Remy, 72, plans to stay in Steamboat, where she has lived since 2005 and her older sister since 2000. Remy moved to Steamboat to help care for her mother.

After the operation, Remy had to give up her rented house in Steamboat. After recovering in Casey’s Pond, she is now able to live on her own with some help. But the tight deadline to find a new place to live in a city with very scarce and expensive housing only increases the stress for her and her sister.

“It makes all of us nervous because we were hoping that something would help, not only my sister, but the other people that are there at Casey’s Pond,” said Lucille Gruss, Remy’s sister and a senior from Steamboat Springs. “It’s very unsettling. Everyone is under this pressure.”

Remy is one of several Casey’s Pond residents currently working with Shannon Buchanan, transition coordinator at the nonprofit Northwest Colorado Center for Independence. NWCCI is contracted through Medicaid to help local nursing home residents transition to independent living with supportive services.

“As an independent living center, our goal is to help people be as independent as possible. We will help provide them with the support and services they need,” Buchanan said.

Some people transitioning to independent living can return to the home or apartment they left, while others may need new accommodation.

“I’m really struggling because the biggest problem is housing,” Buchanan said. “If there was housing immediately, I know there are other people I could help.”

Given the strong reaction from many Routt County residents to the official notice that both the assisted living and skilled nursing portions of Casey’s Pond will be closing with 90 days’ notice, Remy is hoping some property owners will be willing to help.

“If the people of Steamboat really want to help and are truly committed to Steamboat, I hope they will step forward and offer a place to rent if they have one,” Remy said.

Bellann Raile, the court-appointed receiver for Casey’s Pond, said Monday that 32 residents were receiving Medicaid care in the assisted living section. On Aug. 15, the receiver notified residents that the assisted living section at Casey’s Pond, which houses 36 other residents, would close in 90 days on Nov. 13.

“This is a very unfortunate situation,” said Raile. “Continuing to operate the assisted living facility will not help to reduce the mountain of debt that has accrued over the last nine years. We will continue to do everything we can to support the residents in their efforts to find alternative housing and to accompany them during this time.”

The fate of the remaining 50 or so independently living residents of Casey’s Pond is unclear.

Buchanan hopes to make the transition to independent living easier for as many people as possible.

“In Routt County, I see a stereotype that once a person is placed in a nursing home, they can no longer be independent,” Buchanan said. “What people often don’t realize is the availability of additional supports and services. Many individuals may not have had the initial supports and services in the community, so their health deteriorated and they had to be placed in a nursing home.”

Buchanan said it can be challenging to put together enough services to care for people at home, but she knows exactly what is available through long-term Medicaid benefits. For example, several home care agencies serve Medicaid patients in Routt County with staff who mostly live in Moffat County, including agencies like PeopleCare Health Services in Delta or Western Slope In-Home Care in Meeker.

Mike Braal, 79, is a former Casey’s Pond resident who speaks highly of the NWCCI’s help. Braal, a retired Nordic ski guide in Clark and charter boat captain in Alaska, returned to his home in North Routt County last week. Braal spent nine months recovering at Casey’s Pond after spending seven months in a hospital or rehabilitation facility on the Front Range due to a serious illness.

“I can’t say enough about her (Shannon’s) dedication to her clients, her knowledge of what is available and her expertise in arranging services to meet my specific needs,” said Braal, who has lived in Routt County for 54 years. “There are just so many programs available that I don’t put a huge burden on my family.”

Both Braal and Remy said the transition coordinator helped them navigate the complicated paperwork and hurdles involved in applying for assistance.

“She was a great coordinator and gave me things I could use,” Braal said. “I couldn’t have done it without her. She’s wholehearted.”