Homemaker services to undergo changes

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Most Goodhue County residents utilizing homemaker services will be weaned off the program in coming years. Commissioners on Tuesday voted to privatize the program, which costs the county more than $212,000 annually.

Public homemakers provide services - like cleaning, shopping and laundry - to help residents stay in their home. It is the most expensive non-mandated service Public Health provides.

Public Health staff were told to start finding alternative placements for new and existing clients and reduce employees as alternative services are found. Staff members have already started shrinking the homecare program - which includes homemaker, home nurse and home health aide services - over the past few years but remain uncertain about the future of entire program.

Commissioners did not decide if the county would eventually bow out of homecare all together or whether there would always be a core of hard-to-serve clients the county would handle.

More on this story will be available in coming weeks in the Republican Eagle.

Tags: local news, local government, goodhue county, news, homecare