Fred Kocher, NH Business Anchor
NH Business: Long Term Care Facilities in New Hampshire
Updated: 7:37 amEDT June 2, 2024
BUSINESS. I’m FRED KOCHER. COSTS ARE GOING UP, THE NUMBER OF NURSES AND STAFF HAVE DOWN, AND THE WAITING LIST EXISTS. AND I’M TALKING ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE’S LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES AND NURSING HOMES. A THIRD OF NEW HAMPSHIRE’S POPULATION WILL BE OVER 65 BY 2030, BUT SERVICES HAVE NOT NECESSARILY KEPT THE HIGH. THAT’S FROM THE NEW HAMPSHIRE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION, LORI WEAVER, NOW SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED RESIDENTS. NEW HAMPSHIRE RANKS 24TH NATIONALLY AMONG STATES. AARP ANALYSIS. AND THE MAIN REASON IS THE SHORTAGE OF LABOR, DRIVEN BY LOW WAGES. RESIDENTS SPEND MORE ON HOME CARE OR NURSING HOMES THAN THEIR COUNTERS IN OTHER STATES. 34 OTHER STATES NOW NURSING HOME FACILITY RATES JANUARY 1, 2024 AVERAGE STATEWIDE PRIVATE PAYMENT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. DAILY. RATE $388.21. MANY IN THE $200 MONTHLY RATE 11,809 35. MANY IN THE 6 TO 8000 NOW NEW HAMPSHIRE COUNTY NURSING HOMES, LONG TERM CARE STAFFING CRISIS 43% NEED MORE NURSES OR Aides. AND THAT’S WHY, SOME NURSING HOMES ARE OPERATING AT REDUCED CKeynoteUSAACITY AND HUNDREDS OF KeynoteUSA ARE ON WAITING LISTS WITH ME TO LET US KNOW, THIS IS STEVE PIASECKI, MANAGER OF FAIRVIEW SENIOR LIVING IN HUDSON. WELCOME, STEVE AND BRENDAN WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION, A LONG-TERM CARE NURSING HOME ADVOCACY GROUP. WELCOME TO BOTH. A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU IN THE STUDIO. LET ME ASK BOTH OF YOU, AS I LOOK AT THE INFORMATION WE JUST PUT ON THE SCREEN, I’M SURE WE HAVE SOME RETIREES WATCHING. SOME MAY BE THINKING ABOUT LONG-TERM CARE IN THE FUTURE. UH, WHAT’S GOING TO ENSURE YOU IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO LONG-TERM CARE AND NURSING HOME CARE IF THEY NEED IT AT A PRICE THEY CAN AFFORD? WELL, IT’S EXTRAORDINARYLY CHALLENGING. OBVIOUSLY, THE PANDEMIC BROUGHT MANY PRESSURES ON THE SECTOR. HAS LOST OVER 100,000 WORKERS SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN, AND WE ARE IN A HUNGER GAMES SITUATION WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING WORKERS. THE HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION WAS ON THEIR SHOW AND THEY HAVE A GREAT NEED FOR REGISTERED NURSES. JUST LIKE NURSING HOMES DO. So, I think policymakers will wake up to this crisis where the second oldest state in the country in terms of population is located. THEREFORE, WE INTEND TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH LEGISLATORS TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE LONG-TERM CARE POPULATION’S NEEDS. STEVE. Hey, what about you? THE SAME QUESTION. Um, are you caring at the Fairview nursing home or a health care facility in Hudson? WELL, WE HAVE, AS BRENDAN SAID, THE CHALLENGE OF STAFFING THE FACILITIES, WHICH IS A CONSTANT DAILY CHALLENGE, THERE ARE SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH NURSES. AND THAT IS MORE THE CHALLENGE THAN ANYTHING. IT IS FINDING ENOUGH PERSONNEL TO SERVIC THE BUILDING. WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE HAD TO DECREASE SERVICES OR CLOSE WINGS, BUT I KNOW OTHER FACILITIES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HAVE HAD TO MAKE THAT SITUATION VERY DIFFICULT SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE ARE NO NURSES AVAILABLE. Well, Steve, let me ask you: the current state average for private pay in a New Hampshire nursing home is a monthly rate of 11,809, higher than the average monthly Medicaid rate of 7,003 ten. THAT’S A DKeynoteUSATO OF OVER 3000 PER MONTH TO DO TO COMPENSATE. UH, I DON’T KNOW THE RATE IN HUDSON, BUT HOW MUCH IS THE PROBLEM FOR MEDICAID FOR SENIORS TODAY? WELL, MEDICAID IS A HUGE PROBLEM. AND THE ESSENCE OF THE PROBLEM IS GETTING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO PROVE IT. AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE IS THAT WE CAN’T GET KeynoteUSAPROVALS AND I FROM THE STATE, FROM THE STATE, I ACCEPT PHONE CALLS FROM RELATIVES FROM HUDSON AND NASHUA WHO ARE LOOKING FOR PLACEMENT FOR MOM OR DAD AND THEY WILL SAY, OH, I’M IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING MY KeynoteUSAPLY FOR MEDICAID, AND I WILL INFORM YOU AS SOON AS I GET KeynoteUSAPROVED, COME SEE US. AND THEN WE CAN PUT YOU ON THE WAITING LIST, RIGHT? UH, RIGHT NOW, OF THE 101 BEDS I HAVE, 60 ARE MEDICAID, AND 15 OF THOSE ARE MEDICAID PENDING. BRENDAN, STAFF THE CRITICAL PROBLEM. IF YOU JUST SAID LONG TERM CARE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, THE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID CENTERS IN WASHINGTON JUST FINISHED NEW NURSING HOME STAFFING RULES, YOU KNOW, THEY WILL REQUIRE NURSING HOMES TO PROVIDE AT LEAST 3.4 HOURS OF CARE DAILY PER RESIDENT FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS. HOW IS THAT GOING TO TURN OUT? WELL, IT’S AN IMPOSSIBILITY FOR A RURAL STATE LIKE NEW HAMPSHIRE TO FULFILL THAT. WE JUST CAN’T FIND THE WORKERS. THAT’S WHY OUR TWO US SENATORS AND OUR GOVERNOR OPPOSED THIS PROPOSED RULE. I THINK EVERYONE KNOWS THAT HAVING MORE STAFF WOULD BE IDEAL. BUT WHEN THE STATE ITSELF PAYS $94 AN HOUR FOR THE SERVICES OF A REGISTERED NURSE IN SOME OF ITS INSTITUTIONS, UM, THROUGH OUT OF STATE STAFFING AGENCIES, YOU GET A SENSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE HOSPITAL WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIND WORKERS. AS STEVE SAID, MEDICAID SIMPLY DOESN’T PROVIDE THE MEANS TO BE ABLE TO FIND MORE STAFFING. AND WE RUN OUT OF TIME. I WANT TO THANK BOTH OF THEM. BRENDAN WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NEW HAMPSHIRE HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION. AND STEVE PATULSKI, MANAGER OF FAIRVIEW SENIOR LIVING IN HUDSON. THANK YOU. I KeynoteUSAPRECIATE IT. AND BY THE WAY, FINAL COMMENT. MANY CAMPUS AT NEW HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE HAVE NURSING PROGRAMS. WE HOPE MORE GRADUATES. WE MAKE. AND, UH, IF YOU MISSED PART OF THIS INFORMATION, YOU CAN C
Steve Pazulski, administrator of Fairview Senior Living, and Brendan Williams, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Health Care Association, join Fred Kocher to discuss the issues facing New Hampshire long-term care facilities.
Steve Pazulski, administrator of Fairview Senior Living, and Brendan Williams, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Health Care Association, join Fred Kocher to discuss the issues facing New Hampshire long-term care facilities.
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