Assisted living and other long-term care providers in Pennsylvania are backing a slate of bills and a budget boost they say will help keep them afloat and bring more caregivers into the industry.
More than 100 providers from across the Keystone State attended a Tuesday rally at the state capitol building in Harrisburg to express their concerns about how long they will be able to survive without changes.
The struggle is evidenced in part by the fact that the state had almost 40 fewer personal care homes and assisted living communities in 2023 than in 2022, according to the event organizer, the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, which is the state affiliate of the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living. And more than 20 nursing homes have closed since 2020, the state association said.
PHCA President and CEO Zach Shamberg said that residents are having to move out of senior living communities to go to nursing homes or back to their families because the state won’t allow the Medicaid program to pay for their care in assisted living.
“The status of senior care in Pennsylvania has become a full-blown crisis. We’re in an emergency, and this is unacceptable for a state with one of the oldest populations in the country,” he said in a statement. “Our older loved ones and neighbors find their care options in jeopardy because Pennsylvania has refused to make the necessary investments in the care of seniors and adults with disabilities. We are not only here to rally for funding and legislative support of our workforce initiatives, but we are here to warn our state leaders of what will happen if they do not act immediately.”
One of the bills that PHCA is advocating be passed aims to address the Medicaid issue. Senate Bill 520 would allow assisted living communities to be Medicaid-eligible so that more older adults could age in place there without needing to transition to a nursing home due to their financial situation.
Some of the other bills for which PHCA is advocating:
- Senate Bill 1102, which would establish a uniform, state-wide certified nursing assistant training program, allowing nurse graduates and students to take the CNA certification exam without completing the nurse aide training program.
- Senate Bill 1103 would direct the state Department of Human Services to create a skills competency evaluation for prospective caregivers in lieu of a high school diploma or equivalent.
- Senate Bill 1104 would introduce a new generation of Pennsylvanians to careers in nursing, according to PHCA, by allowing high school juniors and seniors to earn up to two credits toward their graduation requirements by working in a congregate healthcare setting.
“Make long-term care a priority this year,” Shamberg told legislators.
Rally Day saw providers meeting with state legislators or their staff members in addition to holding a press conference.
PHCA also is calling for a budget increase for nursing home providers, including $100 million for a quality incentive program, as well as baking legislation applying to nursing home providers.
PHCA said that state Sen. Judy Ward (R), chair of the Senate Aging & Youth Committee, attended the rally. The preceding day, the association held a legislative conference at which guest speakers included state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R), House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D) and US Senate candidate Dave McCormick (R).
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Source: McKnights Seniorliving
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