Nursing homes wary of state funding

Our Lady of Hope Residence in Latham, for example, isn't counting on $334,834 that Gov. George Pataki's office announced was going to the adult care facility under the recently signed Health Care Workforce Recruitment and Retention Act.

Said Sister Maureen, LSP, administrator: "We've been hoping to receive money from the state in the past." But problems passing a state budget meant the home never received the funding.

Intentions

According to the Governor's office, the funding would help local nursing homes combat the problem of the national shortage in the healthcare workforce.

Funding from the state would be used to make nursing home jobs more attractive, provide increased training for career ladder opportunities, and supplement hiring packages to encourage workers to join the healthcare profession.

Needs

"We always need more," she said. "We're looking for good people who stay." Currently, 30 certified nursing assistants are employed at Our Lady of Hope.

Sister Patricia Anne Corbett, CR, administrator of Mt. Loretto Nursing Home in Amsterdam, concurred the need for people to work in the long-term-care field is "a severe crisis."

The Governor's office announced that Mt. Loretto would be the recipient of $820,654 in new funding. However, Sister Patricia Anne said nursing home funding is complex.

"The staff read about this in the paper and wanted to know when they were getting their raise," she said. "But, at the same time, the state applied an assessment tax [on nursing homes], so they are giving on one end and taking on the other. I'm disappointed."

News to them

"I haven't seen it or heard about it," she said.

Michael DelBrocco, comptroller of Teresian House, was also surprised by the $1.4 million figure. "That number is bigger than anything we've even scratched out on paper," he said.

Hidden costs

"This bill has been incorrectly characterized as a bonanza for New York's nursing home workers," said Carl Young, president of NYAHSA. "When it turns out to be less than [25 cents] an hour raise for many of these hard-working people, no one is going to be happy."

According to Mr. Young, nursing homes will receive $133.5 million this year but will be taxed approximately $114 million. The difference of $19.5 million will be divided among the 200,000 employees of the state's 680 nursing homes. Thus, the average nursing home will have enough new funding to increase nurses aides wages only by five cents an hour in the first year, 13 cents an hour the second year, and 21 cents an hour the third year.

Nothing new

Mr. Young said the trend factor is the only Medicaid cost-of-living adjustment available to pay for increasing insurance and pharmaceutical costs, as well as increases in food, supplies and utilities.

Mr. Young said his organization's membership was pleased that the state recognized the severe staffing shortages nursing homes are facing but would like more.

"While our members understand the state's tough economic condition and acknowledge the efforts made here, there is no escaping the fact that New York's nursing homes and the people they serve were singled out to shoulder a new tax burden," he said. "New York's not-for-profit, mission-driven and public nursing homes are facing a tough financial reality. These are not nameless, faceless entities making widgets. These are people caring for society's most frail and vulnerable persons."

Employees saluted

Despite the challenge of the work, she said that Teresian House has a low turnover rate and retains employees for years. "We have people who have been here since the house opened up," she said.

Sister Patricia Anne described the staff of Mt. Loretto as being a family. Since the residents see the staff members on a daily basis, many of them know the employees of Mt. Loretto better than they know their own families. The family atmosphere, she said, spans all of the departments including nursing, housekeeping and dietary.

"People who work in long-term care are good people," she said. "One of the most needed missions in the Church is long-term care."

(02-14-02) [[In-content Ad]]