Washington, DC, November 17 -- The US Department of Agriculture's Rural Development mission area will make a direct loan of $565,000 to the Dade County Nursing Home District, USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Jill Long Thompson announced today. The funds will be used to expand the facilities Alzheimer's Unit. USDA Rural Development administers a number of programs designed to strengthen rural economies and expand infrastructure in rural areas.
"USDA and the Clinton-Gore Administration are committed to providing rural residents with access to quality health care," Long Thompson said. "Alzheimers' is a devastating disease that requires extensive medical attention." "Affordable, adequate care is the last thing family members need to be concerned with during the course of this disease." "This loans represent the priority that this Administration places on providing all of its citizens, rural and urban, with access to health services." "I am pleased that USDA can contribute in this manner."
The Dade County Nursing Home District will use the funds to expand its' Alzheimer's unit. The project includes constructing a seven bed addition and converting 13 beds, resulting in a 20 bed Alzheimer's unit.
"Alzheimers is a disease that can strike anyone at anytime, regardless of where they live," stated William Shay, Missouri Rural Development State Director. "Rural residents, just like their urban counterparts, deserve access to quality treatment and affordable care." "USDA's Community Facility Program is a good example of how government can work with the private sector to provide a valuable service to the community."
Through its Community Facilities Program, Rural Development's Rural Housing Service is striving to ensure that facilities - such as health care clinics, police and fire stations, schools and child care centers - are readily available to all rural Americans. The commitment of USDA to this effort is at the core of its mission and its promise to help build stronger, more vibrant rural communities across the nation.
Contact:
Clark Ray, (202) 720-5579
Missouri Rural Development State Director William Shay, (573) 876-0976