ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A News10NBC investigation into the nursing home bed crisis is prompting action in Albany after a local couple’s story highlighted the growing problem.
Last week, News10NBC Investigative Reporter Jennifer Lewke introduced viewers to Cindy and Paul Burgio, who found themselves in an impossible situation. Cindy Burgio’s husband Paul already had health issues when he went into kidney failure and then caught an infection at Rochester General Hospital.
“They informed us that we had to gown up and put gloves on and I said why? And they said they had an outbreak of Candida in the step-down unit,” Burgio said.
Cindy believes that infection prevented Paul from getting the rehab services he desperately needed for months. Now, he can’t walk, is in constant pain and needs daily dialysis. “Let’s face it, he’s not rehab-able so, now you’ve got to look at a nursing home,” Burgio said.
The social workers at RGH found him a bed but it was at one of the lowest rated nursing homes in the region. “That’s the place they presented, and I read the reviews and I said, oh my god, absolutely not and she said well you can’t believe everything you read,” Burgio said.
This is a situation that families across New York State are experiencing.
“What we saw happen in the situation that you reported on, is exactly what we were warning would happen,” said Sebrina Barrett, CEO of LeadingAge New York. “All of our nursing homes across New York State are in severe distress right now.”
LeadingAge New York represents hundreds of not-for-profit nursing homes across New York. Lewke asked Barrett why it seems like the only spots open are at the worst rated nursing homes. “Our non-profit nursing homes are only going to keep those beds open that they can staff in a way where residents are going to see the kind of care that they’re admissions provide they should receive,” Barrett said.
State mandated staffing ratios may be what’s best for patient care but it’s also one of the reasons hundreds of beds locally have been pulled off-line.
Nursing homes need to find, train, and pay for more help and the pay part of that equation is also an issue. “When someone is in a nursing home on Medicaid that nursing home is only receiving about 75% of what it’s actually costing them to care for that resident,” Barrett said.
Lewke asked Barrett if what they have been given in this year’s state budget will get more beds online. “I’m hopeful that it will, it amounts to a 6.4% increase but if you look at the fact that inflation has gone up more than 50% and during the same time frame, we’ve only received about 15% in additional funding,” Barrett said.
Which means if they can open more beds, it’ll be a slow process.
Paul remains at RGH a week after the original story aired, which is what he and his family wanted until a placement could be found in a nursing home with a better track record. That also means there is one less bed at the hospital for someone who needs acute care.
To review safety and inspection records for nursing homes in New York State, click here.
NY Nursing home crisis: Rochester families struggle to find quality beds as hundreds remain offline across the state WHEC.com.
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