Late last week, Northampton County's press office sent an email about a "love-themed luncheon" for Gracedale residents and families that included "creamy parmesan chicken plicata and pan-seared Atlantic salmon, with triple chocolate cheesecake for dessert." It singled out one couple who have celebrated 60 years together. It's nice to hear anecdotes like these. And without doubt, there are many very dedicated people who work at Gracedale and whose calling is to make life just a little better for the people who live there. I've seen it. But I also hear other anecdotes that are much less pleasant. This one-star home with a provisional license and a poor record of nursing care, is objectively the worst county-owned nursing facility in the state. What's worse, it has been cited again for its failure to provide the state-mandated minimum amount of nursing care to residents in early January.
The state Department of Health (DOH) visit in early January was actually a revisit to see whether Gracedale had corrected its inability to provide adequate nursing care back in November. The home, which already provides the lowest level of nursing care among county-owned nursing homes within the state, was unable yet again to meet the minimum standard of nurse's aides and LPNs. The home failed to meet the state mandated minimum or 3.2 hours of nursing care per resident per day.
The county's plan of correction. More agency nurses! Over 100!
In other words, the facility plans to continue bringing in disengaged nurses out for a quick buck, which will mean more county funding, instead of a realistic solution that combines a temporary census reduction so that residents can be cared for by more dedicated county workers. This will mean a temporary county contribution as well, but at least it will ensure that the home is on the right path,
Run by Government no surprise here.
ReplyDeleteReally? I am so sick of the so-called libertarians who complain about government when it tries to actually help people, even when it fails. As the rabbi noted in another story I posted today, without government, we'd eat each other alive. Such is the nature of man.
Delete"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."
Hasn't our government disserved the county's elderly at Gracedale? I want the place sold for all the reasons you properly cited in 2011. Those reasons are as valid, today. And, like you in 2011, I'm not dismissive or heartless re: our elderly and most needy. There's a better way for Gracedale, as you masterfully detailed 15 years ago.
DeleteThe county has failed its obligation to the residents at Gracedale. In 2011, I advocated the sale, but I respect the will of the voters and believe I was wrong about the quality of the people who work there. Some of them are amazing. Thet treat the residents like family. So now I would push very hard for trying everything we can to save the home. I believe management in place is in over its head. We need people who are very familiar with the nursing home industry, not a recreational therapist. We need to reduce census and eliminate agency staffing and then work our way up. Yes, that means the home will lose money in the short run. We need a long range plan. I believe Cedarbrook is embarking on about $50 million in upgrades, and we need to make changes, too. The 4 to a room concept is not something families like and the feds do not like it either. We need to expand services like dialysis. I know people who actually go to Gracedale for their treatments and much prefer it to a dialysis center. By the way, I notice people who want to sell the home are very willing to make the argument but unwilling to ID themselves.
Deleteno more money---sell sell sell
ReplyDeleteThis is what we got from an Ex-County Executive who ran on Gracedale. Another thing he lied about!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the NEW executive to focus on this...LOL. Oh, but she is too busy interjecting herself into private leasing agreements ......
DeleteInjecting $7 million from the general fund into Gracedale for temporary life support is not a plan of action. It is lending cover up for a mismanaged or lost IGT funding source which, until now, protected the tax payers and county from having to fund Gracedale . Where did $2 million dollars per year go,
ReplyDeleteAnd when will a proper nursing care management team discussion take place?
More county funds. Sooner or later the citizens will rebel. Nah, they really have no idea of what's going on.
ReplyDeleteKeep bailing! Keep bailing! Stuff the leaks with taxpayer dollars! Everything's fine!
ReplyDeleteWell at least they can do that. At other locations in the county they just hire people not qualified for the positions. And just waiting for the lawsuits to follow them to those locations.
ReplyDeleteAll of the good that was done under Premier’s initial management of Gracedale has been slowly undone over the last two administrations of Lamont McClure. Gracedale can no longer be sustained as it is at this point. It is better to start decreasing census now with the overall goal of eventual permanent closure of units and eventually the facility. Millions wasted on a daycare that was supposed to attract new employees. $80 plus thousands in recent fines for abuse. One star/abuse rating with six month provisional license. There are companies that can be hired to do this for the county. Bringing in more high paying staff is not the answer. We are not staffing a factory here. We are caring for people. This is a sad mess. Hope Tara didn’t buy the facility cat yet. My heart bleeds for the residents and the remaining dedicated county staff.
ReplyDeleteGeesh! it may be time to think about selling it. Hate to say it, but it’s a money pit we can’t afford. There is a reason we are one of the last counties in the state to still have a nursing home.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the knee-jerk reaction of selling the home. But it's time to stop doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. We need to stop hiring more agency nurses who do not care about the residents the way that employee nursing staff does. We should instead temporarily reduce census and see how many people we can care for without reliance on outside staff, and slowly build from there. We need to recognize that Michelle Morton, the current administrator, is in over her head. Her degree is in recreational therapy, not nursing or business. The number of deficiencies increased after she took over. I'd begin a search for a new and highly qualified administrator and would consider a bringing in a team like Premier to manage the home. Some union members dislike Premier and complain they recommended reducing staff. I do not know that to be true, but I do think their management became poorer after D left the home. But we definitely need new and better management. I'd also recommend, and have been saying this some time, a long-term study on the uses of the nursing home facility over time. Fifty years from now, nursing homes might be a relic. or much different. I certainly do not think we can crowd residents four to a room much longer. We also need to modernize and take advantage of everything technology has to offer. We also need to consider using part of the facility to handle our overcrowding problem at human services and for DA evidence. We have a secure warehouse for voting machines that could be adapted for evidence. There's lots we can do that we have not been doing. We have instead been doing the same thing over and over.
ReplyDeleteKnee-jerk reaction? It's something that's been discussed for over a decade. It's something you supported under Stoffa and Angle. You ran a helluva campaign to sell it. That's not anything close to a definition of knee-jerk. It's been a consideration for 15 years. You may have changed your mind amid the blowback. But the internet remembers your posts in 2011.
DeleteI call it a knee-jerk reaction because that is what it is. Every time there is a negative report, a horde of anonymous commenters who won't dare sign their name will push for a sale of the home without recognizing the noble purpose served or the many good employees who are still there. I did advocate sale in 2011, and did so publicly. I fought against a referendum, and the voters spoke very loudly. The vast majority of NorCo wants to keep the nursing home. I respect the will of the people and believe we must do everything we can to guarantee the home's success. I do not believe we have done so, and reacting the way you have is nothing more than a knee-jerk. I also am getting tired of people who are more than willing to promote the sale of the home so long as they are protected by the privilege of anonymity. I have not heard one person from any party who has suggested a sale and who is willing to identify himself.
DeleteThere might come a time when we need to consider that possibility, but we are nowhere near that point.
Bernie is absolutely correct and most of us stand shoulder to shoulder most of the time with him. He is also correct that most of us hide who we are because there is a real consequence that unfortunately exists. Everyone though, is absolutely in agreement that making the same mistake over and over expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity.
DeleteTara should close it. Not sell it. Close it. Let St. Luke’s and Lehigh Valley deal with the 500 indigent seniors every year who have nowhere else to go. It’s clear the State doesn’t want it to operate as a county home any longer. Let it figure out what to do with these people. Let the employees who pathologically undermine the home go work for Manor Care. Bernie, and others working as we speak, to undermine the home can move on to something else. Just close it Tara.
ReplyDeletePeople who don't work at Gracedale or have a relative there don't care about Gracedale. That's not their fault, it's just the truth. Taxpayers don't want to pick up extra costs for Gracedale either.
ReplyDeleteAll the happy talk means nothing, it comes down to dollars.
It will cost a fortune to
ReplyDeletemake the four bedrooms into two bedrooms. Close the main building, place two residents in each four bedroom to begin downsizing. We can’t afford more agency staff.
Our government is corrupt as it can be it does more harm than good because if people like you Bernie.
ReplyDeleteWhat is happening at gracedale is the same that has happened at the Jail,the JJC ,911 and everywhere else in the county. They treat their employees like crap. Don't pay them a livable wage and this is what you get. You took a place where you could have a career to just being a place for a job.
ReplyDeleteBut all you people out there that are gonna say quit if you don't like it. People are and now you're stuck with this. Millions in agency fees, Millions in OT at departments. But just quit. When you have people like Lamont and Brown that thought not taking care of the people that take care of the residents of northampton County was a good idea this is what you get. And just wait to those people that kept telling people to quit " like supervisors at these county departments " the best is yet to come. Because eventually it's gonna catch up with this county with no employees and bad employees. And the taxes are gonna go crazy. I can only hope and pray that this lawsuit at gracedale doesn't get a NDA with it. Because I want the tax payers of northampton County to see how much telling good employees to quit is costing them.
Oh but don't worry Tara is falling right in line like a good little employees for Lamont and Mary Lou. Gotta keep this under control till his election.
Gracedale , with proper management and guidance , can and will function as it did in the past. Someone must step up and do the research for funding, professional management investment, qualified nursing home supervision, and finally get the Northampton County Council to get on board with setting up a legal COUNTY
ReplyDelete501C3 geared for taking TAX DEDUCTIBLE public, and private, donations placed DIRECTLY FOR GRACEDALE USE.in a GRACEDALE DEDICATED FUND. This will take patience,
Marketing skills, and needs to be done now.
Gracedale apparently cannot compete in the present nursing home marketplace. Other facilities have kept up with the times and know how to market themselves. They are the ones who will snatch up the rehab residents for the Medicare money. They are the ones who will also snatch up the "private pay" residents with their more modern accommodations. Most of Gracedale's admissions are medical assistance and are, in some cases, the residents who have behavior problems. They are typical of the residents who once resided at the state hospitals (but PA closed many of the state hospitals) so there is nowhere for these people to go. Nursing home staff do not know how to deal with them so, as occurred last year, they are placed on a one-on-one (which requires increased staffing measures), those measures are not always maintained and the resident(s) elope(as occurred last year at Gracedale). Many also are abusive to their peers (as occurred last year at Gracedale). A resident without the mental capacity to make a rational decision about his safety needs was allowed to sign themselves out of Gracedale last year (staff error). A staff member was abusive to a resident for two hours with no staff intervention. Many nursing home/rehab facilities know the dangers of admitting the type of residents Gracedale has chosen to admit just to fill a bed. These same facilities know the delays involved with getting payment through medical assistance. Gracedale has chosen to keep its census at 688 instead of considering downsizing it with the idea that it was going to be able to "fill all of the beds". It hasn't happened and those empty beds are an expense. As long as this new administration continues to think Gracedale is magically going to get on track because there is a new executive (who truly doesn't understand the issues and who thinks that a cat and David Holland are the answer), Gracedale will continue to be cited for care/staffing issues. This will not be allowed to continue, however, and the choice about " what to do with Gracedale" may be directed by state/federal agencies most likely if the citations continue. It appears there may be a lawsuit according to some comments here so that's another complication.
DeleteYou make many honest points, but let’s not throw the towel in just yet.There are many families, workers, and residents to consider. It is not all about money, it is about human well being and support for our communities. Agree that the clock is ticking, but there are enough professional and caring people who may come forward with plans and ideas. If not, the fate of Gracedale will be in the hands of the past and new County Executive along with the councils who knew and did not act.
ReplyDeleteMany council members also denied it was happening. Those who tried to prove it was were ignored or shouted down at meetings. It’s all most likely still on You Tube.
DeleteThose who knew should have shouted louder, made more noise, and presented facts!
DeleteAll of council knew.
DeleteBernie you are on the right track. Keep up the good fight and hope they listen to you. It tasks drastic change to move forward successfully. Looking at the short term effect of downsizing and restructuring often make people say it can't be done. But it can!!
ReplyDeleteGolly, I wonder If county nursing homes can succeed these days with the IGT‘s and immediate jeopardies and other such nonsense . Oh, I seem to remember Bernie stating that 13 of the 14 County homes are doing just fine. Perhaps Tara should get on the horn with fellow Democrats that run counties with county nursing homes to see what the secret sauce is. That seems to be the most expedient way to get started on any improvement project. The county itself seems to lack the knowhow to run this very specialized type of operation.
ReplyDeleteGive them what they want. Close it. Let Angle and Bernie be right. Let the recent converts to the cause of vilifying Gracedale be correct. Tara this is not your problem. Shut the lights off. Move on. It’s been politicized since Stoffa tried to sell it. Let it go. Let the people who tried to kill it live with the fact that poor seniors in Northampton County will have no where to go.
ReplyDeleteRemember: Gracedale has existed for decades. It’s the people who make the decisions and the people who hire and set up the management of the home that will either continue to carry on its success or its downfall.
DeleteThe County has underpaid the employees at Gracedale for the past thirty years. They even stopped their medical benefits for new hires and made their faithful loyal employees co-pay for their benefits and refused to cover the union workers spouses unless they co-pay for their benefits and you wonder why no one wants to work at Gracedale. Workers at McDonalds makes more than the workers at Gracedale. How do you support a family on Gracedale wages? Until you correct the wage scales at that facility you will continue to have the problems you have now. Wake the _ _ _ _ up and pay those people a decent wage!
ReplyDeletePrivatizing certain government functions have cost tax payers much more over the course than most tax payers are able to understand beyond the nonsense that they are able to eat in small doses.
ReplyDeleteThere is no such thing as a private organization that is “Not For Profit”.
Those organizations feed and dwell on those block grants and thrive on them while providing substandard and dismal returns for the money.
What qualified this Human Services Director into such a position? Beyond the obvious political connection and the degree that demonstrated nothing of the sort over that eight years? KidsPeace?
People gauging returns on investments based on politics are in for a shock. If that hasn’t been established yet they really need to pay close attention to what has happened here and will continue to happen. The Executive is the elected boss. The Executive appoints the Managing Directors to appropriately manage their areas who rely on everyone else to provide the outcome. Hopefully, a good outcome.
ReplyDeleteJohn Stoffa, a Democrat, appointed Ross Marcus as Director of Human Services. One of the best in the business.
John Brown, a Tea Party Republican, appointed Allison Frantz as Human Services Director. One of the best in the business. Both of them remain so and deeply respected.
Beg to differ on your best in the business..Stoffa was pushing to dump Gracedalle. Brown was working behind the scenes to get a prison built
ReplyDelete