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County lacks nursing‑home capacity; officials and residents flag assisted‑living and staffing gaps
Summary
Residents told the board Daniels County has no local doctor, limited assisted‑living options, and workforce shortages at the hospital; many residents move to Billings or Glasgow for skilled care, and commissioners said aging demographics make senior housing a policy priority for the growth plan.
Interstate Engineering asked residents where seniors go when they can no longer live independently; participants said local options are limited and many older residents relocate to larger cities for skilled nursing.
"We have nurse practitioners...and that's it," a participant said when asked what medical staff the local hospital has, describing the county as lacking a resident physician. Speakers said some assisted‑living sites shifted away from strictly senior housing to income‑based occupancy and that skilled nursing capacity is missing.
Commissioners and the consultant discussed barriers: workforce shortages at the hospital, challenges in financing and operating assisted‑living facilities, and the need to identify programs or grants that could support age‑friendly housing. Laque recommended the growth policy include concrete steps and small, achievable implementation actions to address aging‑in‑place needs.
Why it matters: Daniels County's demographic profile is aging, which affects health‑care demand and housing needs; local leaders flagged senior housing and care as a recurring practical need that the updated growth policy should address.
