Letter to the editor: Help stop closure of assisted living center
I am writing to inform your readers about the impending closure of Liberty Place, Bootstrap Ranch in Belgrade, resulting from the statewide shortage of staffing for assisted care facilities. Closing Bootstrap Ranch will be a significant loss to the state and those served by the facility. I am aware of this problem because I am guardian for a resident there. Finding her a new facility is extremely difficult.
Bootstrap Ranch is one of three facilities operated by Liberty Place. These facilities offer long-term care to people who are severely disabled following brain injury. I’m sure your readers have a friend or loved one who suffers from some sort of acquired brain injury. Bootstrap Ranch provides service and care in a community-based program to help these people live at their highest level of independence.
Presently, Bootstrap Ranch has three main challenges to continuing operation: post-pandemic staffing, getting new clients admitted (post pandemic), and a decrease in the number of Montana Medicaid waivers. The greatest of these is post-pandemic staffing.
Read the full Letter to the Editor from the Billings-Gazette here.
