The Board of Directors of Grace Lutheran Communities has made the difficult decision to close Syverson Rehabilitation and Health in Eau Claire.

“For years we have attempted to deal with the financial losses at Syverson Lutheran Home. But a continued funding imbalance due to inadequate Medicaid reimbursements from the state level means we cannot as an organization continue to make up the shortfall,” said Grace Lutheran Communities CEO Michael Christensen.

Grace Lutheran Communities is working with the state of Wisconsin, the Eau Claire County Human Services Department and local senior care ombudsmen to assist the 47 residents in their transition to other housing. The process will take anywhere between 90 and 120 days per state regulations. A decision on what will happen to the building will be made at later date.

“Syverson has been at the center of compassionate care since it opened. But our non-profit organization must maintain adequate finances to fund our mission. We are very proud of the 52 years of high-quality care, which equates to more than 2,000,000 days of skilled nursing for thousands of people,” said Christensen.

The current employees will be transitioned to other openings around the Grace Lutheran Communities System and no job losses are anticipated.

Christensen added, “We take our mission very seriously, and held on to our operations at Syverson as long as we possibly could. This is a difficult time for senior care and especially skilled nursing care. In 2017, ten senior care facilities closed in Wisconsin. I cannot emphasize enough that without adequate reimbursement from the state and federal government, nursing homes like Syverson will continue to bear the financial burden, especially in our smaller communities. Often, it’s too much for them to sustain and we’re seeing the impact all over the state.”

Grace Lutheran Communities has been helping our friends and neighbors in communities all over the Chippewa Valley since 1960. The non-profit organization specializes in rehabilitation, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care, child care, independent living, and adult day services.