At County Nursing Homes, a Battle vs. Red Ink
Officials believe they can cut costs enough to balance the budget at Morris View, the county-run facility. But advocates for seniors worry that if they fail, there will be no safety net for patients many private nursing homes don't want to serve.
Built on hillsides, near streams, or in other picturesque locations, county-run nursing homes once stood as monuments to local governments’ ability to care for people in need. But that was long ago. Now they stand as targets. New Jersey’s county-owned nursing homes routinely operate at multimillion-dollar deficits that make it more and more difficult for county executives and freeholders to fulfill campaign promises to hold the line on taxes. And the fiscal outlook for the facilities continues to worsen with ongoing cuts in Medicaid and new state-imposed budget restrictions. Meanwhile, the number of private-owned nursing homes in New Jersey has grown in recent decades to more than 300, and almost all of them have vacant beds. In counties …
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Beth Jarett
12:13 pm on Friday, October 19, 2012
It is understandable that the County needs to maintain budget, but many things can be done to bring County Nursing Homes under control financially. I cannot say that I agree with all of the below points. - Departments have been outsourced (laundry, dietary, PT, etc.) - Downsizing of internal employees - Downsizing of # of patients (more facility space) - Open space in the facility (rent space to … more ›