Osnabrock nursing home to reopen

Osnabrock, N.D., will get its community cornerstone back when the Osnabrock Nursing Home opens, probably by spring.

The tiny Cavalier County community of 134 lost its nursing home in July, with the closing of the Osnabrock Good Samaritan Center.

A local advisory board, which formed immediately after the closing was announced by Sioux Falls, S.D., -based Good Samaritan, expects to have an administrator hired in early January, according to Tim Seavey, interim administrator and a registered nurse who lives in Osnabrock.

The board also expects to file in early January a formal application with the state for the 15-bed basic care facility.

“We have completed about 75 percent of the renovation,” he said. “Our funding and resources have been finalized.”

Osnabrock is about 12 miles southeast of Langdon, and about 70 miles northwest of Grand Forks.

Support

Major funding has come from Cavalier Rural Electric Cooperative and United Communications, both based in nearby Langdon, as well as funds contributed by three local banks.

The group also has applied for funding through U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development.

It has held local fund-raising events.

“We had a fund-raiser two weekends ago and brought in over $25,000,” Seavey said. “We just continue to have great community support.”

Fewer residents

The Good Samaritan Center employed 35 to 50 people before it closed. The facility had been licensed for 31 beds, but had seen fewer residents in recent years. By May, when the closure was announced, there were 18 residents.

The new facility likely will employ 8 to 10 people.

Seavey, who lost his job when the Good Samaritan Center closed, is now employed by Bismarck-based Dakota Travel Nurse, a private nursing company.

He said he plans to stay connected with the Osnabrock home, serving as a consultant and filling in as needed.

The remodeling project includes private residential rooms rather than shared rooms.

“Our intention is to make it as home-like as possible,” Seavey said. “Residents will have the option of bringing in their own furniture. We hope to make it different.”

Tags: north dakota, news