The old adage of working smarter not harder implies that there always is a better way to accomplish tasks. In senior services, these are challenging times but we will use it as an opportunity to be innovative. We need to work smarter and harder.

For the last several years, the State of Minnesota has frozen the rates we are able to charge our care center residents and has been cutting the rates in the senior housing markets. As of Oct. 1, nursing homes across the United States received an 11.1 percent rate decrease for all patients using Medicare. Basically, our income has decreased while the expenses continue to climb.

However, I don’t want to sound like the future is bleak. We are so thankful to have loyal friends who have consistently supported St. Benedict’s Senior Community over the years. There are countless ways that benefactors make an impact daily in the lives of our residents. We appreciate your past gifts and we will need them in the future more than ever.