The Shady Rest Home will be going back to the Marshall County Commissioners as new regulations cannot be reconciled between the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and the Bowen Center, according to Kurt Carlson from the Bowen Center.
“There were some regulations that were part of the Division of Aging under which the Bowen Center operated Shady Rest that were in direct opposition to some of the patient rights,” explained Carlson. “For instance, residents under the POCO regulations had the right to eat what they wanted, when they wanted and where they wanted. Under the Division of Aging standards, you have to have dietician approved menus with food served at specified times. That was irreconcilable. We decided that there really wasn’t going to be an approval for a waiver.”
Carlson brought the idea of the rest home becoming a separate corporation to commissioners, but found it would not be acceptable.
Shady Rest gave care and housing to adults suffering with mental incapacities.
Carlson said the difficult decision was made to shut down the facility before it was to be forced closed. He said the movement of patients is already underway.
“Some have already returned to family members, some are going to nursing homes, some are going to other facilities, and some are going to the community. We expect that by the middle of June we’ll be down to about 20 clients. The Bowen Center is repurposing one of the buildings in Warsaw for an in-patient unit so when we get down to those last 15 individuals we’ll move them to that facility in Warsaw.”
The Bowen Center took over Shady Rest in 2001 and made nearly $1 million in improvements and repairs during their occupancy. Improvements to heating and boilers, air conditioners, a sprinkler system and the renovation of rest rooms were a few of the projects under the care of the Bowen Center. Around 200 patients sought care at Shady Rest. The length of the care ranged from a few months to a few years.
Shady Rest will be returned to the commissioners at the end of July.
The three commissioners expressed appreciation to the staff of Shady Rest for giving help to the residents of Marshall County who needed it. A committee will be formed to find a use for the building by another non-profit agency.
