The Department of Public Health has recently announced that five nursing homes in Massachusetts will be closing down. This means that more than 600 senior citizen residents will have to relocate and find new places to live. Four of the facilities are nursing, transitional care or rehabilitation centers run by Kindred Healthcare in Boston, Canton, Dedham and Needham. The Kentucky-based company has been attempting to transition out of the nursing home business nationally. Last summer, it announced that it was selling 89 nursing homes for $700 million, and the company plans to close the Massachusetts centers in late March 2018.
What Will Happen to All Of The Residents?
The care facilities will still be operating until the proposed close date, and facility officials will be finalizing the plan for closing until then. Kindred will be working with local and state departments of Public Health and Elder Affairs on plans for relocation. Relocation will be based off of individual residents’ needs and preferences. Kindred employees will arrange visitations for residents and families to other facilities, and the company has even offered to pay for moving expenses. The company will also provide job fairs and job placement support for future employees. The fifth nursing home to close is Heritage Nursing Care Center in Lowell. The center has needed significant renovations for years now, and it has experienced a severe decline in referrals and population. The center is also working with state officials to transfer residents to other facilities.
Overall decline in nursing home care can be explained by two factors: their support and needs are being met through household care, and Medicaid does not cover the cost of most care for nursing facilities. MassHealth (Massachusetts’ Medicaid program) has actually been a huge assistance in providing a trustworthy transition from inadequate facility care to suitable home care.
If you or someone you love is a Massachusetts resident and is interested in knowing more about nursing home care, contact at the Law Office of Brandon L. Campbell.
