Editorial: Nursing home closures a threat to state's elderly
The closure of a nursing home can mean more than an inconvenience for the residents and their families.
Finding a nursing home with a vacancy — and one that will accept a patient that can only offer Medicaid reimbursement — is a significant challenge in itself, but it also can mean moving a resident in frail condition away from friends and trusted caregivers to a different community that can be miles farther from family. Sometimes, the transition to a new home can bring a decline in mental and physical health and hasten death.
So the recent closures of skilled nursing facilities in the state — or their conversion into private-pay assisted living centers — has become a concern as the number of care centers and their Medicaid-eligible beds have decreased.
Currently, about 215 skilled nursing homes care for about 9,700 Medicaid clients in Washington state. But at least 19 homes have closed since early 2017, according to the Washington Health Care Association, affecting more than 1,000 residents; more than 30 homes have closed in the past nine years.
The reasons for closures can vary, and there has been a move away from the traditional nursing home to other options including assisted living, group homes and in-home care. But the industry is pointing to a structural problem: The revenue that the facilities receive in Medicaid reimbursements for clients is falling short of the costs of care.
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