NH Business: Waitlists exist at NH's long-term care and nursing home facilities

BUSINESS. I’M FRED KOCHER. THE COSTS ARE UP, THE NUMBER OF NURSES AND STAFF ARE DOWN, AND THE WAITING LIST EXISTS. AND I’M TALKING ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE’S LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES AND NURSING HOMES. A ONE THIRD OF NEW HAMPSHIRE’S POPULATION WILL BE OVER 65 BY 2030, BUT SERVICES HAVE NOT NECESSARILY KEPT UP. THAT’S FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION LORI WEAVER NOW SUPPORT SERVICES FOR OLDER RESIDENTS AND DISABLED. NEW HAMPSHIRE RANKS 24TH NATIONWIDE AMONG THE STATES. AARP ANALYSIS. AND THE MAJOR REASON IS WORKFORCE SHORTAGE, DRIVEN BY LOW WAGES. THE FINDING RESIDENTS SPEND MORE ON IN-HOME OR NURSING HOME CARE THAN COUNTERPARTS IN OTHER STATES. 34 OTHER STATES NOW NURSING HOME FACILITY RATES JANUARY 1ST, 2024 STATEWIDE AVERAGE PRIVATE PAY 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 SO SOME NURSING HOMES ARE OPERATING AT REDUCED CAPACITY AND HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUALS ARE ON WAIT LISTS WITH ME TO BRIEF US ON, THIS IS STEVE PIASECKI, ADMINISTRATOR 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 YOU BOTH. NICE TO HAVE YOU IN THE STUDIO. LET ME ASK BOTH OF YOU, AS I LOOK AT THE INFORMATION WE JUST PUT UP ON THE SCREEN, I’M SURE WE HAVE SOME RETIREES WATCHING. SOME MAY BE THINKING ABOUT LONG TERM CARE DOWN THE ROAD. UH, WHAT WHAT IS GOING TO ASSURE THEM THAT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO LONG TERM CARE AND NURSING HOME CARE IF THEY NEED IT AT A PRICE THEY CAN AFFORD? WELL, IT’S EXTRAORDINARILY CHALLENGING. OBVIOUSLY, THE PANDEMIC BROUGHT A LOT OF PRESSURES TO BEAR UPON THE SECTOR. IT’S DOWN OVER 100,000 WORKERS SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN, AND WE’RE SORT OF IN A HUNGER GAMES SITUATION WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING WORKERS. THE HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION WAS ON YOUR SHOW AND THEY HAVE A BIG NEED FOR REGISTERED NURSES. JUST AS NURSING HOMES DO. SO, UM, I THINK THAT POLICYMAKERS WILL, UH, WAKE UP TO THIS CRISIS WHERE THE NATION’S SECOND OLDEST ESTATE IN TERMS OF POPULATION. SO WE INTEND TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH LEGISLATORS TO EDUCATE THEM AS TO THE NEEDS OF THE LONG TERM CARE POPULATION. STEVE. UH, WHAT ABOUT YOU? THE SAME QUESTION. UM, YOU’RE NURSING THE FAIRVIEW NURSING HOME OR HEALTH CARE FACILITY IN HUDSON? WELL, WE HAVE LIKE BRENDAN SAID, THE CHALLENGE OF STAFFING THE FACILITY, WHICH IS A CONSTANT EVERYDAY CHALLENGE THERE JUST SIMPLY ARE NOT ENOUGH NURSES. AND THAT IS MORE THE CHALLENGE THAN ANYTHING. IS FINDING ENOUGH STAFF TO STAFF THE BUILDING. WE HAVEN’T BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE WE’VE HAD TO DECREASE SERVICES OR CLOSE WINGS, BUT I DO KNOW OTHER FACILITIES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HAVE HAD TO MAKE THAT VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE’S NOT NURSES AVAILABLE. WELL, STEVE, UH, LET ME ASK YOU THE CURRENT STATEWIDE AVERAGE FOR PRIVATE PAY IN A NEW HAMPSHIRE NURSING HOME IS A MONTHLY RATE OF 11,809, HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE MEDICAID’S AVERAGE MONTHLY RATE IS 7003 TEN. THAT’S A GAP OF MORE THAN 3000 MONTHLY TO MAKE UP. UH, I DON’T KNOW THE RATE IN HUDSON, BUT HOW MUCH OF AN ISSUE IS THAT FOR SENIORS MEDICAID THESE DAYS? WELL, MEDICAID IS A HUGE ISSUE. AND THE ESSENCE OF THE ISSUE IS GETTING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO PROVE. AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS THAT WE HAVE IS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN’T GET APPROVALS AND I FROM THE STATE, FROM THE STATE, I TAKE PHONE CALLS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS OF HUDSON AND NASHUA WHO ARE LOOKING FOR PLACEMENT FOR MOM OR DAD, AND THEY’LL SAY, OH, I’M IN THE PROCESS OF DOING MY MEDICAID APPLICATION, AND I’LL LET THEM KNOW AS SOON AS YOU GET APPROVAL, COME AND SEE US. AND THEN WE CAN PUT YOU ON THE WAITING LIST RIGHT? UH, RIGHT NOW, OF THE 101 BEDS THAT I HAVE, 60 ARE MEDICAID, AND 15 OF THOSE ARE MEDICAID PENDING. BRENDAN, STAFFING THE CRITICAL ISSUE. IF YOU JUST HAVE SAID FOR LONG TERM CARE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID IN WASHINGTON JUST FINALIZED NEW NURSING HOME STAFFING RULES, YOU KNOW, WILL REQUIRE NURSING HOMES TO PROVIDE AT LEAST 3.4 HOURS OF DAILY CARE PER RESIDENT THE NEXT TWO YEARS. HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK OUT? WELL, IT’S AN IMPOSSIBILITY FOR A RURAL STATE LIKE NEW HAMPSHIRE TO COMPLY WITH THAT. WE JUST SIMPLY CAN’T FIND THE WORKERS. THAT’S WHY OUR TWO U.S. SENATORS AND OUR GOVERNOR WERE OPPOSED TO THIS PROPOSED RULE. I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT YOU HAVE MORE STAFF WOULD BE IDEAL. BUT WHEN THE STATE ITSELF IS PAYING $94 AN HOUR FOR THE SERVICES OF A REGISTERED NURSE AT SOME OF ITS INSTITUTIONS, UM, THROUGH OUT-OF-STATE STAFFING AGENCIES, YOU GET A SENSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE HOSPITAL IS TO ARE NOT ABLE TO FIND WORKERS. AS STEVE SAID, MEDICAID JUST SIMPLY DOESN’T PROVIDE THE MEANS TO BE ABLE TO FIND MORE STAFF. AND WE’RE OUT OF TIME. I WANT TO THANK YOU, BOTH OF YOU. BRENDAN WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION. AND STEVE PATULSKI, ADMINISTRATOR OF FAIRVIEW SENIOR LIVING IN HUDSON. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. AND BY THE WAY, FINAL COMMENT. A LOT OF CAMPUSES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE CAMPUSES HAVE NURSING PROGRAMS. WE HOPE THAT THEY’RE GOING TO GRADUATE MORE. WE DO. AND, UH, IF YOU MISSED PART OF THIS BRIEFING, YOU C