Thanks for helping displaced residents

It was a relief to learn several days ago that all of the residents of Greenwood Village Assisted Living in Evergreen have been placed with other facilities as Greenwood prepares to close by the end of March.

Elderly and disabled residents were in shock when they learned Feb. 27 they had only 30 days to find a new home. Greenwood Village owner Dennis Rasmussen at age 75 wants to retire, so he hopes to convert the facility to a hotel, with the plan of selling it along with the adjoining mobile home park and campground.

We believe Rasmussen when he says it wasn’t an easy decision to make. He’s been actively involved in running the assisted-living center for 17 years, but it’s time to downsize, he said.

One of the heroes in this tough transition has been the Flathead County Agency on Aging. The agency’s senior ombudsman, Susan Kunda, was on the front line of talking to families and helping to make arrangements for the relocations. She calmed the residents’ anxiety and stepped them through the process of finding a new place to live.

Thankfully, other area assisted-living facilities and nursing homes had ample empty beds to accommodate the Greenwood residents.

The other hero in this saga has been the Flathead Valley community at large. Greenwood Village staff members said support from those wanting to help the residents has been phenomenal. They’ve offered boxes, strapping tape and moving assistance.

It’s not surprising to see Flathead folks rally around those in need. The support and compassion shown by so many is making this difficult transition a little bit easier.