Making a real business scenario and mission to serve seniors.  

Making a real business scenario and mission to serve seniors.   My company makes tv's for the state of Minnesota.     The tv' s cost $200 to make but the state only pays me $175.     The materials to make the tv's are continuing to increase and I am working on cutting costs where ever I can.   Now the state is telling me they are still not able to pay me what it actually costs to make a tv.    How can I keep doing business?   I don't have any other customers and if I did the state told me I can't charge them any more than what they pay me!       Does this seem like an absurd business scenario?   It is absurd and it is actually happening now!   The long term care industry in Minnesota includes nursing homes, assisted livings, senior housing and home care.    Nursing homes are taking the worst of this business scenario.   State budgets have either been frozen or cut over the last eight years.   Many people say the government needs to cut waste.  Many businesses can tighten their belts through tuff times or change business strategy.   As my beautiful grandmother said, "You can't get blood out of a turnip."    Our industry, long term care, through government cuts and control is becoming a turnip.   Through years of cutting and not being part of the state's budget there is no fat left and our costs to do business are going up. There is one more element to this....we are more than a business to the seniors and families we serve.   We, the nursing homes,assisted livings, senior housing, and home cares,  become their families.   Every day we provide personal cares, hugs, and a caring ear.  We are the people who see this as more than a job, more than money, we see that serving one another is a mission.     Comparing making tv's with caring for a person seems a bit of a stretch to some, but the business scenario of asking to be funded for the actual cost is not.  I urge you to call or write your legislator to make seniors a priority.  To make the business of caring for seniors a realistic scenario.    Please feel free to contact me if you need help or have questions.