Nine senior living facilities in Nebraska closed in 2021
STANTON, Neb. (KTIV) – Most of the facilities were located in rural areas, and industry officials have a host of reasons for the closures.
It’s a sign of staffing shortages and low morale, leaving some rural facilities without any care at all. The Nebraska Healthcare Association and a facility in Stanton said a drop in employees is partly to blame for forcing these facilities to close.
Jalene Carpenter, the president and CEO of the Nebraska Health Care Association said 54% of residents at the facilities are paid for with Medicaid. But the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hasn’t adjusted its rates with inflation, meaning the facilities are absorbing more costs.
“So I can’t raise my prices. And so that’s the biggest issue. And then the other part of that’s really important, is if I raise prices for my private pay, that only expedites them transitioning to Medicaid faster, said Carpenter.
Read the full story from KTIV here.
