American Rescue Act Funds

 

THE ISSUE:

New Hampshire supported nursing homes and other long-term care providers through the pandemic through innovative ideas such as frontline worker stipends through the LTC Stabilization Program and grants through the LTC Provider program.  NH lead the nation in not only funding COVID testing for residents and LTC staff, but in providing a framework for that to occur and NH quickly pivoted to being a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) distributor when much needed supplies were not available through traditional channels. 

 

These actions brought our long-term care facilities through 2020, but additional help is required to sustain facilities through 2021 and beyond.

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THE PROBLEM: 

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• Workforce: The healthcare workforce crisis which existed pre-COVID-19 has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

  • Frontline caregiver wages in nursing homes cannot compete with increased unemployment payments which incentivize potential workers to stay home.

  • Caregivers are under increasing amounts of stress and strain from the past year, and the recovering service economy brings the lure of other more lucrative positions with less responsibility for the lives of others.

• Census: COVID-19 lead to precipitous falls in nursing home census due to the drop in elective procedures which admits patients in need of short-term rehabilitation; concern over COVID-19 risk; and the fact that facilities must still provide quarantine areas taking beds normally available for admissions offline.

• Infrastructure: NH's nursing homes are in need of renovations which could make them safer and offer more privacy and autonomy for residents.

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WHY LEGISLATORS SHOULD BE CONCERNED:

 

• Nursing homes' rapidly increasing costs combined with little to no offset of those costs WILL cause nursing homes to close, making it even more difficult for New Hampshire's elders to find quality care when they need it most.

• Failure to retain valued employees and attract new caregivers are already causing facilities to shrink the number of admissions. You cannot admit residents if you do not have the staff to care for them.

• Decreasing the availability of Medicaid-eligible beds will leave our most fragile citizens with fewer options for receiving the care they need and deserve.

• Failure to update infrastructure could cause facilities to be even harder hit during future waves of COVID-19 or other viruses yet unknown.

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THE ASK:

• American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds to provide $50,000,000 in one-time relief for the nursing home sector, addressing the issues of infrastructure, workforce, and increased operating costs.

  • A one-time nursing home renovation fund of $10 million that would grant up to $150,000 per facility for infrastructure/renovation costs enhancements for New Hampshire nursing homes that meet criteria.

  • A $10 million fund available for nurses and nursing assistants working in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and continuing care retirement communities in the form of debt relief or tuition assistance.  It would require a commitment to work in such a New Hampshire long-term care setting following graduation, without limiting movement between those settings.

  • A $30 million fund to provide a one-time lump sum grant payment for each facility, based on appropriate factors such as size and other needs, to ensure access to quality nursing home care while the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues.  This would allow facilities to address the extraordinary costs associated with the pandemic, including infection control, visitor screening, workforce wages, and PPE costs.

  • Substantiation exists for all of these requested items, which are being requested in coalition with county-run facilities, and for-profit and non-profit facilities alike.

 

 

 

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