Nursing Home Provider Information
Table of Content
- Report details and key findings
- Nursing Home Family Resource Line
- Cambridge Health Alliance – Somerville Hospital SEF (
- MetroWest Medical Center – Framingham Union Hospital Inpatient Pediatric Service (
- Thanks, your message has been sent to Executive Office of Health and Human Services!
- Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield (
- Considerations for moving a loved one home
Nearly 8 in 10 home care leaders cite staffing shortages as the primary driver of declining client growth rates. The United States doesn't have the social or political infrastructure to adequately care for seniors at home. Medicare does not currently reimburse for ADLs, meaning many seniors or their families must pay for such care out of pocket.
On November 6, the stateannouncedthat it would require certain high risk nursing homes and rest homes to temporarily stop all new admissions to protect the health and safety of residents and prevent further COVID-19 transmission. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, families may be considering whether their loved one should move from a nursing home, rest home or assisted living residence. The Commonwealth has prioritized protecting the most vulnerable populations, including long-term care residents and staff. Vaccinating long-term care facility residents, staff, and visitors against COVID-19 is a crucial step in preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Report details and key findings
Massachusetts regulators recently announced new rules that, if adopted, will change the requirements for nursing home sales and closures in the state. A public hearing would also be required prior to nursing home changes of ownership if at least 10 people petition the state health department. All proposed nursing home closures would be subject to public hearing and public notices. Massachusetts spends approximately $1.7 billion annually for Medicaid nursing home care for about 30,000 long term care residents who receive housing, 24-hour nursing care, therapy and assistance with all activities of daily living.
State funding for nursing home care over the last decade has remained largely stagnant, not nearly keeping pace with the cost of resident care and labor to provide care. Because home health will be unable to accommodate increased demand, SNF closures will result in the displacement of residents, potentially forcing them to choose facility-based care further from their loved ones. Closures will also be felt across the care continuum, as hospitals will be hard-pressed to discharge patients for rehab care—gumming up patient flow permanently. In addition, AHCA/NCAL predicted that more than 400 additional nursing homes could close in 2022 based on current financial conditions. Across the industry, facilities have a median operating margin of -4.8% and occupancy rates of 77%. STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, APRIL 4, 2019 — Almost three dozen nursing homes across Massachusetts are at risk of closing this year, threatening the ability of senior citizens to access needed care, an industry group warned.
Nursing Home Family Resource Line
“These are vulnerable people who had no recourse,” said the group’s senior attorney Betsey Crimmins. Landmark executives didn’t respond to the Globe’s e-mails and phone calls. Its remaining residents got a reprieve after officials from the Boston Center for Independent Living and the Northeast Justice Center urged state elder affairs officials to press Landmark’s management to hold off on evictions. Nursing homes are also being squeezed by longstanding labor shortages that intensified during the pandemic as some immigrant care workers returned to their native countries. And the phasing out of pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program loans, which propped up many struggling homes temporarily, has made it harder to operate profitably. One nursing home, Quincy Health & Rehabilitation Center, which plans to close Dec. 7, blamed a new post-pandemic limit of two beds per room.
BOSTON — Up to 35 Massachusetts nursing homes are at risk of closing this year due to financial struggles, according to the Massachusetts Senior Care Association. If DPH finds the service to be necessary, the hospital is required to submit a plan for assuring access to DPH within 15 days of the finding. The hospital must then submit a formal 90-day notice of the closure to DPH, which must be provided at least 90 calendar days before the proposed closure date. There is not enough home health staffing in the industry to accommodate existing demand for Medicare-certified home health, let alone rapid growth. Like many health care employers, post-acute organizations are grappling with a shortage of clinical staff.
Cambridge Health Alliance – Somerville Hospital SEF (
In September, the Legislature overrode Governor Baker’s veto of $7.5 million for quality nursing home care. According to state cost report data, each of the homes was operating at a significant loss with most residents having their care paid for by Medicaid. The bill, filed by Chandler and Rep. Thomas Golden, D-Lowell, would increase the MassHealth reimbursement rate.
In addition, about 120,000 Massachusetts residents rely on skilled nursing facilities to provide quality care when they are undergoing rehabilitation services after a short hospital stay so they can return home safely. Even as displacements multiply, Baker administration officials say they support “right-sizing the industry,” where occupancy rates ran below historic levels even before the pandemic. A set of reforms that took effect last year sought to boost long-term care staffing levels and improve infection control. MassHealth, the state Medicaid program, has also raised its reimbursement rates for nursing home residents. As a result, Sudder said, a quarter of nursing facilities have an occupancy rate of 80% or less. BOSTON—Following nearly a decade of significant underfunding of Massachusetts nursing homes, five facilities filed notice with the state Department of Public Health last week of their intent to shut down.
MetroWest Medical Center – Framingham Union Hospital Inpatient Pediatric Service (
Today, nursing home reimbursements are based on the cost of care in 2007. There is a gap of $38 a day between the amount the state pays for nursing home care and the cost of providing care. Chandler said that adds up to an average annual loss of $900,000 per facility — or a shortfall of $353 million in uncompensated nursing home care statewide.
This concludes the essential service closure process, and the hospital may continue with the proposed closure at this time. "We are advocating for an update in MassHealth nursing facility funding using more current 2017 resident care and labor costs in order to ensure that facilities have the necessary resources to ensure quality resident care," Gregorio said. "This update would add just $70 million to the budget, and half of it would be funded by the federal government." Statewide, 70% of nursing home residents have their care paid for by the state’s Medicaid program, MassHealth.
To request documentation, such as a facility’s Intent to Close letter, please contact A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts.
A combination of an aging population, greater interest in assisted living rather than nursing homes, and a decline in federal support has created a "perfect storm," Sudders said. State officials at the hearing said Medicare funding for Massachusetts nursing homes has dropped about $300 million since 2011. The report underscores the need for "immediate action" to prevent the displacement of thousands of frail elder and disabled residents, and the loss of jobs held by thousands of people who work at the homes. Homes are at risk due to underfunding from the state, rising labor costs, and competition from assisted living and home care operators, the association said.
More than 1,000 residents and staff will be impacted by the announced closures. The Massachusetts Senior Care Association today stressed that these decisions underscore an industry on the brink of collapse due largely to inadequate state Medicaid funding, and that many more closures are possible. The association, which represents nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other senior care providers, is pushing for a bill that would give nursing homes an additional $70 million annually, split between state and federal money. Stopping admissions enables homes to focus resources such as staff and PPE on the health and safety of its current residents and enables the home to stabilize before taking on new residents. Homes that meet certain criteria will be required to stop any new admissions until the Department of Public Health has determined that conditions have improved and the facility is ready to safely care for new residents. The Commonwealth will work closely with homes during this time and provide supports as needed to ensure resident health and safety.
Find information and resources about nursing home care in Massachusetts. After the facility has completed all required notifications, it can begin to work with residents and/or the residents’ legal representatives to begin finding alternative placement for residents. Owners of the facility should engage with those who are impacted to explore alternatives to closure and further development of a closure plan. David Groat is among the residents looking for new housing amid the closing of Landmark at Longwood.
Considerations for moving a loved one home
According to CLA, these payment cuts would put 33% to 38% of nursing homes at financial risk, affecting between 32% and 40% of all nursing home residents—or as many as 417,000 people. Half of the communities in Massachusetts are at risk of being at maximum capacity if one facility closes, the association said, and 70 percent of nursing home residents rely on MassHealth to pay for their care. Last month, Health and Human Secretary Marylou Sudders told lawmakers at a budget hearing in Needham that "additional closures" were expected at nursing homes, though she did not specify a number.
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