State leaders have begun to respond to the pleas for help from struggling nursing homes, but the money will only buy time for an industry in transition.
That’s because the model of care that 35 years ago had 113 nursing homes in Rhode Island today is barely supporting 79.
“The last nursing homes have been built,” Richard Gamache, CEO of Aldersbridge Communities, which recently announced plans to close an East Providence facility, told PBN in this week’s cover story. “That model has failed.”
Industry leaders place some of the blame on traditionally low insurance reimbursement rates that, along with the pandemic, have only worsened financial challenges.
State leaders have approved the first rate increase in more than a decade and directed $40 million in pandemic-related federal aid this fiscal year and next to boost staffing and services.
While that will help ease the immediate pressure on some nursing homes, smart operators know they’ll have to change how they serve seniors to survive.
Some nursing homes have already begun downsizing. Others are looking to models focused on offering a continuum of care for seniors. That could focus 24-hour care on the oldest and frailest, which Rhode Island has a higher percentage of than most states.
A new advisory board will track industry developments for lawmakers. It should also work with industry leaders on ways the state can accelerate nursing home conversions – while there are enough left to serve a rapidly aging population.