The Emporia Gazette

Nursing home is closing

We at Emporia Rehab Center would like the chance to dis-spell any rumors at this point related our closing. First, we were not closed by the state, the fact of the matter is the doors are being closed by choice of the owner of ERC. As a nurse I have always felt that when businessmen get involved in long term care and their main goal is to turn a profit, the end result is never good. We have read multiple blogs speaking of the caliber of care given at ERC and that being the reason we are closing. This could not be further from the truth. Wether you choose to believe that or not is up to you. What I can tell you is that once the news broke, the staff of ERC stood beside each other and our patients. It would have been very easy for all of us to scatter and only think of ourselves. Many of us may not be able to afford christmas this year due to the loss of our jobs and not knowing where our next paycheck will come from. But we have pulled together as a team, as a family, and vowed to take care of these patients until the last resident has found placement. I believe that the staff at ERC has demonstrated great pride and integrity through every step. To you na-sayers, stop for a moment and imagine yourself in our shoes. Instead of standing in line at your christmas parties you could be standing in line next to us in the bread lines. Many of us have worked in all the nursing homes in town and feel that the care we provided there is no different from the care we provided at ERC. It is a matter of professional standards and a code of conduct we uphold as professionals. It is difficult to remove a black cloud or displace half-truth once they have been placed upon a facility. In such a desperate time of need, we have great sorrow for those of you who have choosen to be so negative in this situation instead of searching for something positive. This is a time for a community to pull together and support one another, not stand alone. A simple prayer for the patients and employees would be greatly appreciated instead of the attacks. When a patient tells you she would rather die than have to leave her home at ERC, then we know we have done our jobs and nothing else matters. We would like to thank the friends and families of ERC for all your understanding, compasion, support and kind words at this time. Thank you to the surrounding facilities and communities who have accepted our residents. May they become part of your family now, they will all be missed greatly. For all the narrowminded individuals who don't know or who don't care to seek the truth, before you write such slanderous things, we would like to wish you all happy holidays with your families and may God bless each one of you in the new year to come.

December 19, 2008 at 4:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )