Nursing and Personal care homes reach "critical" point amid more closures

Johnstown, PA (WJAC) — Finding personal care for a loved one can be hard enough. That process became increasingly more difficult following the Covid-19 Pandemic. The Pennsylvania Assisted Living Association says more than 230 personal care homes have closed across the state since the pandemic began.

M. Veil Griffith, an administrator with the Cambria County Area Agency on Aging says, "It boils down to a financial problem."

The Atrium, a personal care home in Johnstown, is one of the most recent facilities to announce it's closing its doors.

Jodie Babich, a registered nurse whose mother-in-law was a resident of The Atrium said, "I would go in to visit my mother-in-law and people would reach out and grab me and say 'honey, do you know where I’m going? Where are they taking me?'. It was heart wrenching.”

With The Atrium closing, Jodie and her husband Jack were just one of many families now looking for another facility for their loved one.

The problem?

"The bed situation, right now, in our region, is really very critical," said Griffith.

Candace McMullen, a spokesperson for the Atrium, previously telling 6News “It really comes down to the budget, the state budget, and making sure that there’s enough money and funds appropriated to provide the care.”

There are different types of facilities for seniors to live in.

There are nursing homes, assisted living homes, and then personal care homes, like The Atrium.

All of them receive different levels of state and federal funding based on the amount of care they provide. Nursing homes provide the most care, while personal care provides the least, as their residents are typically more independent and only need assistance on occasion.

“Personal care is a level of care that really gets stuck in a gap because there is no funding for it," said McMullen.

For the Babich’s, their mother Audrey's dementia was getting worse. Which meant she could likely be accepted into a nursing home with around the clock care.

"Which the state of Pennsylvania, through Medicare/Medicaid, will now reimburse. Not 100%, but close to it," said Babich.

But to be accepted into a nursing home, Audrey had to meet certain criteria.

"The physician did not think that she required skilled care,” said Babich. “As a registered nurse with a lot of years under my belt, and a lot of education, my assessment was different."

The Babich’s appealed the physician’s ruling through the Area Agency on Aging, with the state ruling in their favor.

Now Audrey is getting the care she needs at a nursing home in the Lancaster area, where more of her family can visit her routinely. A successful story in the end, but it didn't come easy.

"If there's one piece of advice I can give anyone in this situation, it's know your loved one. Know the level at which they are functioning. Know when they're declining. Know when you need to ask for more help,” said Babich.

"If you don't understand, and you're confused, reach out to someone who can help you,” she added.

Nursing facilities have seen some increases in funding in years past, but many advocacy groups continue to say more is needed.

If you have questions regarding nursing or personal care, or financial assistance for it, contact your local Area Agency on Aging.

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