 |
| Freeman during last year's Family Fest |
There are numerous factors at play her2. First, privately-owned homes have a much lower labor cost and are willing to accept indigents. Second, the reimbursement rates for private homes are higher. Third, county workers certainly care about the residents and probably give them superior care, but county government is poorly adapted to running nursing homes. Fourth, the trend over the past few years has been to encourage people to stay in their own homes.
Yesterday, I told you that Obamacare might make things worse. I spoke with Dee Freeman, Gracedale's Administrator, and he tells me the following:
1. The trend encouraging people to stay in their homes "is not new. That's been going on for a couple of years now." He states this is a reason why census is dropping at many publicly owned nursing homes. "We've been fortunate here," he states. But he also warns, "We've started to see the effect of it." He points out that people on medicaid must reapply every year, creating some uncertainty. He also tells me that a public nursing home can no longer accept a resident who is suffering from mental illness, though that was at one time permitted.
2. Reimbursements are going up, not down. He tells me that a 2% increase, effective July 1, will be paid to the nursing home sometime in November. But I haveto question whether this increase is temporary. With so many new people eligible for Medicaid under Obamacare, it only seems logical that the reimbursement rates will soon decrease.
3. Obamacare might be responsible for huge increases in medical insurance in next year's budget. "It's certainly going to be a challenge for us," admits Freeman. "Obamacare is being blamed for that, but I'm not an expert." Freeman tells me there will also be huge pension increases.
Updated 10:02 AM, to make clear the number of county-owned nursing homes.
Gracedale is already being killed by special interests who use it as a subsidized county jobs program. Obamacare will simply throw the last few shovels of dirt on whatever the vultures leave after their picking. Gracedale is already dead. It's just too stupid to fall down.
ReplyDeletedoesn't gracedale get everything a person owns ? there home ,ssi,disablity etc...?
ReplyDeleteI am uncertain exactly what gracedale gets.
ReplyDeleteKeep drinking that Stoffa/Angle kool-aide O'Hare. That horse is getting real tired but you should ride it into the ground.
ReplyDeleteGracedale "is not able to accept persons with mental illness"? That my folks is blatant discrimination. If I were a family member of an elderly person in need of skilled nursing and he or she was denied access due to having a mental illness, I would sue the county. And I would win.
ReplyDeleteYou would lose. It is not Gracedale's rule. It has accepted mentally ill people in the past and would love to do so now.
ReplyDeleteI do think that may be a law that will change. Since the close of the State Hospital there is no facility for elderly mentally ill people who need skilled nursing home care.
ReplyDeleteWhat Dee told me is that if a person is mentally ill AND has a physical problem, they can take him. I'd agree that nursing homes might provide a good haven for the mentally ill.
ReplyDeleteBernie, you quoted that Freeman said Gracedale can no longer take individuals with mental illness.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.oumedicine.com/psychiatry/unmasking-mental-illness-in-the-elderly. In this link it indicates that 85 to 90% of individuals have a treatable psychiatric disorder. People with mental illness, if in need of skilled nursing care should be admitted to Gracedale just as any other NC resident.
@ 0910. If you are private paying Gracedale ( and all other nursing homes) will bill you the daily rate, something like 345.00 a day. If you go into a facility and request Public Welfare to pay your way then most of your assets get handed over to DPW or they force you to liquidate and private pay until those funds are gone. Certain thing can be saved and gifted, but the rules are extremely strict.
ReplyDeleteHank_Hill
I'm on the inside of this this. I work at Gracedale and i can assure you there are plenty of mental patients there but they do all have physical ailments. You ignorant commentators fail to realize a CNA is not trained to care for a mentally illI'll individual. We are trained to deal with long term care for the elderly or incapacitated. Another thing, 7 to 3 shift has about a dozen workers on the floor at any given time. That leaves lots of people to properly care for the patientS. Now 3 to 11 shift has 2 to 4 for 40 to 50 residents and they are expected to properly care for these people? when you have 4 call bells ringing at once, 5 people that haven't been changed, no orderly to help mechanically lift your people that don't walk into their beds (because they called off or were pulled into a specific floor to be an aid), and 2 people yelling at you to go into bed or the bathroom, how are we expected to work properly And within state law? And that's just in a single section of 16 residents. No one sees what goes on behind the curtain. Funding is a JOKE. Where are they supposed to cut costs next? We already dump half the food, juice, and milk because half these people are so depressed they don't want to live but the other half clean their plates and want more but everything there is one size fits all so forget the rest.The staff is treated like garbage, paid decently but 33% of our pay goes towards taxes and NOW THEY WANT TO UP THE MEEICAL COPAY BY 10%????????? WHAT THE HELL. I'm done. I'm quitting. It's not worth the bs and drama. I'd rather work in a hospital or cleaning horse shit.
ReplyDeleteBased on your comment, maybe that is for the best. I am sorry you are so frustrated.
ReplyDelete