At Monday’s (6/15) Mahaska County Board meeting, the Board voted to contribute $5000 toward a study on senior housing in the county.  Wyndell Campbell, who worked on a preliminary study for the County, says while there are nursing home or long-term care facilities in Mahaska County, there isn’t anything along the lines of senior care facilities found in Grinnell, Pella or Des Moines….and that could lead to people leaving the county as they grow older.

“Right now, we’re probably losing a lot of that demographic to some larger communities.  We sat at a meeting with representatives from Albia and Ottumwa down at Cargill about a month and a half ago, and Ottumwa is actively pursuing this as well.  Because they’re seeing the same thing.  If we don’t put something on the ground, those individuals are going to leave.”

Campbell added that if seniors move out of their homes into a senior care facility….that would open up homes for new families to move into.  Mahaska County, Mid-American Energy, the City of Oskaloosa and Oskaloosa Area Chamber and Development Group are all being asked to pay $5000 for a senior housing study.