It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Albia, IA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Albia, IA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Albia, IA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Albia, IA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
ALBIA, Iowa — One year after a historic building in Albia’s town square was destroyed in a fire, another historic building partially collapsed, causing road closures.Around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, the Albia Fire Department was called to Benton Avenue on the town square for reports of a partially collapsed building. The first firefighters on scene saw bricks from the east wall of the historic Skean’s Block building have fallen onto Princeton Alley.The fire department originally blocked off the alley, but more bri...
ALBIA, Iowa — One year after a historic building in Albia’s town square was destroyed in a fire, another historic building partially collapsed, causing road closures.
Around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, the Albia Fire Department was called to Benton Avenue on the town square for reports of a partially collapsed building. The first firefighters on scene saw bricks from the east wall of the historic Skean’s Block building have fallen onto Princeton Alley.
The fire department originally blocked off the alley, but more bricks continued to fall, and eventually, the roof started to cave in. The department taped off the entire block where the historic structure sat.
The city called this a “dangerous situation” on its Facebook page, and officials are urging residents to stay behind the caution tape in case the entire building collapses.
Fire Chief John Freshwater said no injuries were reported from the partial collapse, and the city wants to keep it that way. He also told WHO 13 News that the building won’t be demolished.
“[The owner] had a contractor in today and he believes he can try to stable the building to try to save it,” Freshwater said.
The building was constructed in 1889 and served different purposes for the town. Most recently, it was the Albia Brewing Company, a popular restaurant and brewery.
Owner, Brian Lindberg said he opened it in 2012, but closed it two years ago. Lindberg said he worked a full-time job, so he only had the restaurant open part-time every Wednesday through Saturday. After his head chef and another business partner passed away, Lindberg said he couldn’t find replacements and decided to close the restaurant. The building has been on the market since then.
“It’s a turnkey restaurant and Albia needs this. It needs it open, but we’ve had our run with it and we had a good business even being open part time,” he told WHO 13 News. He went on to say, “Somebody needs to take this thing and run with it. They need to have a dream. This restaurant can support a family and they can live upstairs.”
To do that, though, the building will first need to be restored, and Lindberg said he’s expecting the process to be expensive. He said everything from the basement floor to the ceiling will be shored up before a full restoration begins.
“[The] interior can be saved. This east wall and the exterior, it’s going to have to be all redone. There’s a section above the windows that’s still needing to come down, and it’s nice if it would go ahead and come down. Careful what you wish for, but it needs to come down. This whole east wall is going to be replaced,” Lindberg told WHO 13 News.
Lindberg also said that even though he closed his business a couple of years ago, he continued to maintain the building. He said he recently spent nearly $50,000 to tuckpoint the building’s bricks. He said crews finished the entire south and east sides and were nearly finished with the north side.
“The sad thing is we had already done all this work. It didn’t have to be done. Anybody could keep passing the buck as far as the maintenance of these buildings,” he said.
Lindberg said he’s unsure what caused the building to start collapsing.
Crews brought in equipment on Monday afternoon, and the restoration process is expected to begin on Tuesday. Freshwater says Benton Avenue will likely remain closed through the end of the week.
The partial collapse of the former Albia Brewing Company is now renewing conversations about the upkeep of historic buildings on Albia’s town square. Just over one year ago, another historic building in Albia was destroyed in a deadly fire.
The R.O. Cramer building housed businesses and apartments. Now, it’s an empty lot on the town square. Freshwater told WHO 13 News on Monday that because of the extensive damage to that building, the cause of the fire was deemed unknown.
ALBIA — About 40 people attended Tuesday's town hall with Rob Sand, the Democratic nominee for Iowa governor. One would-be attendee didn't make it."We have a very good friend who should be sitting right here and was registered for this town hall," an attendee said. "He's in the Albia hospital right now with stage four lung cancer. Never smoked a day in his life."What are you going to do to help solve this problem?"Sand, serving his second term as state auditor, said Iowa's cancer problem ha...
ALBIA — About 40 people attended Tuesday's town hall with Rob Sand, the Democratic nominee for Iowa governor. One would-be attendee didn't make it.
"We have a very good friend who should be sitting right here and was registered for this town hall," an attendee said. "He's in the Albia hospital right now with stage four lung cancer. Never smoked a day in his life.
"What are you going to do to help solve this problem?"
Sand, serving his second term as state auditor, said Iowa's cancer problem has no single cause. He cited smoking, drinking, inactivity, water quality and radon, the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.
"We have six times the normal amount of radon in the state of Iowa," Sand said. "This is the distinguishing line between me and my opponent (Republican nominee Zach Lahn). I think radon is contributing to our increase in cancer rates. He says that's not it because radon's always been here."
Sand said increasingly airtight homes trap more radon indoors. Gov. Kim Reynolds this year signed a law requiring passive radon mitigation systems in newly built single-family homes and duplexes, a step Sand called good but insufficient.
"Anyone here think they are going to live in new construction before they die?" he said. "That'll be great in 70 years. That's not good enough."
Sand wants home inspectors to disclose Iowa's radon risk and make testing standard during sales of existing homes.
He also called for expanding cost-share programs to help farmers reduce runoff and funding the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. Iowans approved the fund under the 2010 IWILL constitutional amendment, but lawmakers have not raised the state sales tax by the three-eighths of a cent needed to activate it.
"Sixteen years ago, 63% of Iowans said we want to have this trust fund for water quality improvement and outdoor recreation, and now we're 16 years behind because the Legislature won't fund it," Sand said. "Why? Because it's run for insiders and special interest groups, not Iowans."
An Oskaloosa labor and OB-GYN nurse said Mahaska Health's five-bed unit delivered 38 babies in August, with some patients driving two hours or more. She described a patient who was denied care after her water broke because a fetal heartbeat remained. The woman delivered at home and returned to the hospital seriously ill.
"How does the governor and the Legislature work together so that people have access to health care, specifically OB services?" she asked. "If you want to grow the state and the population, people have to have access to have babies safely."
Sand said Iowa's six-week abortion ban is discouraging doctors from practicing in the state. He said hospital lawyers sometimes advise delaying treatment of sick pregnant patients because of legal uncertainty, even when the law's maternal health exception applies.
Lahn has told Iowa PBS he believes life begins at conception and considers the six-week ban a good law. He said he "would likely support" further restrictions depending on the legislation.
Sand also blamed Medicaid privatization for financial strain on hospitals. He said some have taken out seven-figure lines of credit while disputing payments with insurers and pledged to end privatization if elected.
Brenda Case, a retired judicial branch employee and Democratic candidate for Iowa Senate District 13, asked whether Sand would allow privatization of the Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System.
"I'm not going to sign any legislation that would privatize IPERS," Sand said. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it. We have one of the better-funded pension systems in the United States; I think that we should keep doing what we're doing with it."
An electrician representing IBEW Local 13 asked how Sand would keep tradespeople from leaving for higher wages in Illinois. Sand cited Iowa's 48th-place ranking in personal income growth over the past three years and endorsed project labor agreements and stronger enforcement of contractor licensing laws.
Before the town hall, Sand also discussed the state's economic rankings and $1.3 billion annual budget deficit. He criticized federal trade and biofuel policies, saying a dispute with Canada affects about 30% of Iowa's exports and that small refinery exemptions have harmed agriculture.
Sand said data centers should pay full taxes and the costs of upgrading the electrical grid.
"If you're going to build in Iowa, you got to be contributing to Iowan's lives. Period," he said. "We need to have transparency, so we know who is trying to come here. We need to have setback requirements. You got to pay all your taxes. ... If you're going to take so much electricity that the grids need to improve, you should be paying for that."
Sand pushed back on campaign ads calling him a billionaire and suggested they may be confusing him with beverage executive Robert Sands.
"No," he said. "I'm not, and neither are my in-laws."
Sand declined to say whether he would release his tax returns, noting there is no legal requirement. He then criticized Lahn's personal financing of his campaign.
"I think the most ridiculous thing about the whole thing is (Lahn) started his campaign with a two and a half million dollar donation from himself and now he seems to be complaining and suggesting that he's just a regular Joe," Sand said.
Campaign-finance reports show Lahn has loaned his campaign $2.5 million. Since Sand launched his gubernatorial bid in May 2025, his wife and in-laws have contributed approximately $4.52 million to his campaign.
On property taxes, Sand said limited housing supply is driving up home prices and tax bills. He argued that building more housing would ease those pressures but rejected the idea that economic growth alone could close the budget gap.
"The idea that tax cuts will pay for themselves with growth is called trickle-down economics," he said. "We've been hearing about that for literally my entire life, and never has it worked. It's the same idea. They want to give a bunch of tax cuts to people who already have so much money that it's just piling up around them, and they keep promising it's all going to trickle down. I just think that's absurd."
ALBIA, Iowa —A vacant former brewery in Albia partially collapsed on Sunday, causing fire crews to expand street closures as they monitor the situation and investigate the cause.First responders told KCCI the east wall of the two-story building suddenly collapsed into Princeton Alley around 11 a.m.The building, located on Benton Avenue in the town square, has been vacant for over a year. The Chamber of Commerce has been working to find a new tenant for the property, and the fire department noted th...
ALBIA, Iowa —
A vacant former brewery in Albia partially collapsed on Sunday, causing fire crews to expand street closures as they monitor the situation and investigate the cause.
First responders told KCCI the east wall of the two-story building suddenly collapsed into Princeton Alley around 11 a.m.
The building, located on Benton Avenue in the town square, has been vacant for over a year. The Chamber of Commerce has been working to find a new tenant for the property, and the fire department noted that the building was not known to have significant structural issues.
The building, known as the Skean Block, was built in 1889 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Additional crumbling was observed near the top of the building, which led authorities to extend the initial closure of the alley to the entire stretch of Benton Avenue in front of the building.
Surrounding buildings have been evacuated as a precaution, and no injuries have been reported.
Albia Fire Chief John Freshwater said MidAmerican Energy crews were called to shut off natural gas service to the building after the collapse. Heavy equipment was brought in to break through pavement and access the gas line.
Freshwater said the property's owner is now working with contractors to determine whether the building can be stabilized. While officials say they are less certain the structure can be fully salvaged after the wall collapsed further, they remain hopeful the building's historic façade can be preserved.
The collapse sent bricks and insulation spilling into Princeton Alley, a public gathering space maintained by the Albia Chamber of Commerce with tables, planters and seating.
Dan Stocker, a member of the Bates Foundation, said the nonprofit has invested in preserving many of Albia's historic downtown buildings, including the Skean Block. He said the foundation previously helped restore the building into a restaurant and believed recent renovation work, including masonry repairs and tuckpointing, had left the structure in good condition.
"They've really brought it up, I thought it was as good as could be expected, so this was a complete surprise today," Stocker said.
Stocker called the collapse a sad moment for the community, describing the Skean Block as one of Albia's signature buildings and Princeton Alley as one of the square's most picturesque gathering places. He said the community is hopeful contractors will be able to preserve at least part of the historic structure.
Officials have not yet determined what caused the collapse.
ALBIA, Iowa —There is new optimism about the future of a historic downtown Albia building after part of its exterior collapsed over the weekend.City leaders now say engineers believe the structure can be preserved, even as crews continue emergency stabilization work that will keep part of the town square closed for several more days.The east wall of the two-story Skean Block building on Benton Avenue partially collapsed Sunday, prompting evacuations of neighboring buildings and the closure of Bento...
ALBIA, Iowa —
There is new optimism about the future of a historic downtown Albia building after part of its exterior collapsed over the weekend.
City leaders now say engineers believe the structure can be preserved, even as crews continue emergency stabilization work that will keep part of the town square closed for several more days.
The east wall of the two-story Skean Block building on Benton Avenue partially collapsed Sunday, prompting evacuations of neighboring buildings and the closure of Benton Avenue East. No injuries were reported.
During Monday night's Albia City Council meeting, Mayor Jay Andrews said the property owner has hired Goodwin House Moving to stabilize the building from the inside before any permanent repairs begin.
"They can save it. Inside it's structurally sound, except for the one wall that collapsed," Andrews said. "Hopefully this process will make it safe. We can reduce the amount of blockage to keep it safe, and then the work can begin to fix it."
According to the mayor, crews will begin work in the basement, reinforcing it first before shoring up the first and second floors.
The goal is to strengthen the structure enough that it can safely support itself while repairs are planned.
Officials expect that process to take at least three days, and possibly longer.
Until then, Benton Avenue stretch of Albia's town square will remain closed.
Once engineers determine the building is stable, the city hopes to reopen part of the area by reducing the closure to only a handful of parking spaces along Benton Avenue.
The collapse has prompted questions from residents about whether other historic downtown buildings should be inspected.
During Monday's meeting, the mayor said many people have contacted the city asking officials to inspect aging buildings around the square. However, he said the city has limited authority because the buildings are privately owned.
"I don't know that there is actually a device or mechanism for us to do that because the buildings don't belong to the city," he said. "The safety, the structural integrity of those buildings is up to the property owners."
He also said the city does not have the funding or ordinances necessary to inspect private buildings on its own or require owners to pay for inspections. Instead, officials can only recommend that owners of older buildings hire structural engineers to evaluate them.
The mayor noted that many of the buildings surrounding Albia's historic square are well over a century old.
"Things were built really good back in those days," he said, "but they do have a lifespan."
City officials said Benton Avenue East will remain closed while temporary supports are installed inside the building.
If the stabilization work is successful, crews will then begin planning permanent repairs to the collapsed wall while reopening as much of the surrounding area as safely possible.
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