Proposed cooperative would offer eldercare

ARAPAHOE, Neb. — In response to the closure of the Arapahoe Good Samaritan Society care facility in 2021, a public meeting is scheduled for Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. at Prairie Pines, 1010 2nd Street, Arapahoe, to discuss the proposed formation of the Republican Valley Homecare Cooperative. The meeting, organized by the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center (NCDC), is open to anyone interested in working in the Homecare Industry.

The closure of the Arapahoe Good Samaritan Society care facility left the community, with a population of 1,002 residents, without access to an assisted living facility or nursing home. Recognizing the urgent need to provide elder care for their community members, Arapahoe’s leaders have been diligently searching for solutions to allow residents to age in place, safely and comfortably.

Community leaders turned to the Homecare Worker Cooperative Academy, a program sponsored by the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center in 2022. During this initiative, the group concluded that the challenges faced by central Nebraska in terms of eldercare closely mirror the nationwide crisis. Assisted living and skilled nursing facilities in Nebraska are closing at an alarming rate, leaving many individuals and their families searching for viable care options. Furthermore, caregivers in Nebraska, both in-home care and facility care, often grapple with being underpaid and undervalued.

The proposed Republican Valley Homecare Cooperative aims to address these issues by creating a Homecare Cooperative. Here’s what you need to know about Homecare Cooperatives:

A Homecare Cooperative is a private business that is owned and operated by its stakeholders, including workers, consumers, and community members.

This cooperative is democratically owned, with each member holding one share of the business.

Member-owners have the power to set wages, benefits, and policies, providing a direct influence on the quality of care provided.

Profits generated by the cooperative are reinvested into the member-owners and the local community, helping sustain and grow the initiative.

The public meeting on Nov. 16 offers an opportunity for those interested in the Homecare Industry to learn more about the Republican Valley Homecare Cooperative and get involved in addressing the elder care needs of the Arapahoe community.

For more information about the meeting or the cooperative, you can contact Cindy Houlden, Cooperative Development Specialist, at choulden2@unl.edu or 308-293-6417, or Heidi Thomas, Steering Team Member, at heidi.thomas@arapahoewarriors.org or 308-962-4580. This initiative is a step toward building a sustainable and community-driven solution to the challenges of eldercare in the region.