CALAIS, Maine — Area residents and city officials who have a stake in the Atlantic Rehabilitation and Nursing Center are still awaiting word on the future of the community’s only licensed nursing home.
“I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has said to me: ‘Have you heard any news?’” City Manager Diane Barnes said Tuesday. “I’d be rich.”
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services last fall approved a certificate of need application made by the facility’s owner, Portland-based First Atlantic Healthcare, that calls for closure of the 39-year-old nursing home and construction of a new facility 90 miles away in Ellsworth.
That decision came to light locally in January, prompting concern over what would become of the residents of the 52-bed facility, given a chronic shortage of licensed skilled care beds in Washington County. Closure also would leave 92 staff unemployed. While some residents have already relocated, there are waiting lists at other facilities, many of which are located miles away from family and friends.
An April 5 public hearing in Calais drew more than 100 people, virtually all speaking in opposition to the state’s certificate of need approval, citing a chronic shortage of skilled care beds in Washington County. Since that hearing, DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew has been reviewing the testimony. According to the governor’s office, Mayhew has until June 6 to decide whether the closure authorization should stand.
First Atlantic CEO Kenneth Bowden testified in April that the facility is drowning in red ink, estimating that expenses in 2011 exceed revenues by $272,000. In the first two months of this year, he said, the facility was running $131,000 in the red, due in part to a dwindling resident census prompted by fears of closure.
Bowden has been eager to meet with Calais city officials about assuming ownership of the facility, claiming that reimbursement rates for nursing homes that are publicly owned are significantly higher than the rates of reimbursement for which private-sector owners are eligible.
City Manager Diane Barnes said Tuesday there have been no discussions about transferring ownership and there won’t be until a ruling emerges from DHHS.
Due to a constantly dwindling resident headcount, some workers already have been let go while others have been cut back to part time. The facility’s director, John Wood, is currently on site only three days a week.
The vast cruelty of this is unspeakable. The future will look back at our primitive money-oriented greed and shake its heads.
This is a business, nothing more. They have to cover expenses and deserve to make a return on their investment. If they are losing money how are they expected to pay the bills. I`m sure on Friday the workers want their pay check. After all, Aren`t they represented by the teamsters local 340 extra expense there.
Or what about the other operational expenses, Electricity, property taxes, meals and supplies.
They can`t be expected to take money from thier pockets to get all this done. It is sad but maybe the city will take it over and pass the loses onto the taxpayers. After all I don`t have kids in school but my taxes are increased for the school budget.
What the heck is the teamsters local 340? And what does it have to do with this situation?
FYI:- Teamsters local 340 is the labor union that is represnting the employees of the facility.
When tha union is involved it drivews up the cost of operation, which in turn is passed directly onto the patients. Maybe without the union the operation would have been profitable and the threat of closure wouldn`t exist.
And yes condition for employees may not have been the best before a union but atleast they had a job.
Has the union tried to make any consessions to lower the operation cost.
They are a business that is looking for the highest profit just like the nursing home/ rehab
Huh, sounds just like the Genesis HCC owned facilities. Except there’s no union, just the same “for profit only” mentality.
You are correct that this is a business. A poorly run business but a business nontheless.
Since First Atlantic purchased this business from Charles Barnard, they have put an absolute minimum into the maintenance of this nursing home.
They have allowed the physical building to deterriorate to the point where it needs to be replaced.
They milked the profits and didn’t put anything back into it.
The reason the number of residents is in decline is self inflicted, in that they have been instructed by First Atlantic to not accept any new residents.
BOO! UNION! Scare you? Do you have any idea why a union was voted in at this nursing home? I can tell you. It was because of the labor practices of the former administrator. He was a real peach to work for. Thought nothing of firing people to make room for his friends. The employees there had had about enough of his heavy handed abuse and the former owner spent most of his time in Florida.
You don’t have kids in school? Neither do I. What about at the end of your life? Do you wish to be put in a nursing home 90 miles away from your family? After all it’s just business. You are nothing more than a bed. That is what First Atlantic and DHHS think of you. Your life and accomplishments mean nothing to them you are just another item in the chain of money. A bed. Just think, that would make a nice grave marker. A bed.
First Atlantic is trying to take beds. They are where the money is at. They want the beds that are presently allocated to Washington County to Hancock County where there are more people with money. The residents of Washingtobn County mean nothing to First Atlantic or DHHSs Mary Mayhew, after all it’s just business. After all, the owners of First Atlantic live in the Portland area and it is inconvenient for them to travel to Calais to tend to business.
First Atlantic is also working hand and glove with DHHS in the closure of Penobscot Nursing Home and taking those beds to another facility they want to build in Bucksport. It makes me wonder how close Fist Atlantic and Mary Mayhew are?? But thats all right, it’s just business, nothing more. Let’s not put a face or a name on those beds.
Excellent comment you couldn’t of described this matter any better right to a “T”. What you said is the absolute truth. Glad to see someone put it all out there. Thx
When my grandmother went into a nursing home our family tried and tried to get her a placement that was close to our area. What few nursing homes there were said they were filled to capacity and had long waiting lists. She ended up at a facility that was 2 hours away. It was very lonely for her as we couldn’t make the trip as often as we would have liked. She died alone (it happened quite fast), and had she been closer to us perhaps it wouldn’t have been that way. I would have given anything to have been able to be with her, holding her hand as she passed away.
My understanding there is a local business owner who has given them options to help the situation and prevent a vast majority from being shipped off like cattle. The city just like here in Lubec pretend they want the public’s help, but when some steps up to fix it, they ignore him. Shame….
You are just wrong! There has been no one who has offered to purchase the nursing facility beds. There has been a local businessman who has offered to create more bridge home beds, and the City has offered to help with that. There has been NO offer to purchase the NF beds, however. Get your facts straight.
well, there you go. But, I never said that someone did make an offer to buy the NF. Looks like my fact are right based on my comment from what I heard here in Lubec. Your reply clearly shows you may have direct involvement in knowing about this about the bridge homes because I have read nothing in the paper about this business owner or what options he/she is offering. Not that it matters and wish you the best in sorting it out for the elderly.
All I have to say is welcome to the State of LePage