Welcome New Hires

 

United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care

Colleen Barkley - Food Service Attendant

Phoebe Jaskowski - Food Service Attendant

Tavon Hubbard - Food Service Attendant

James Ellard - Food Service Attendant

Sarah Jones - Food Service Attendant

Ashley Vanderwege - Food Service Attendant

Delta Ramsey - Housekeeper

Tammy Belgarde - Task Aide

Rachelynn Martinez - Task Aide

Madison French - Task Aide

Jasper Main - Task Aide

Alyssa Horn - Task Aide

Rosemarie Mulley Task Aide

Rosane White - Task Aide

Seneca Wright - Task Aide

Christina Hrtman - CNA

Kaitlyn Lauzon - CNA

Hope Gladle - CNA

Kimberly Shaul - CNA

Natalie Apple - CNA

Dona Bassett - CNA

Jadian Youngs - CNA

United Helpers Management Company

Christopher Ingro - Maintenance II (Housing)

Justine Burns - Office Tech (Development)

Macaula Drake - Housing Assistant

Tammy Scott - Assistant Community Housing Manager

United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills

Kendrew IRA

Dylan Arquitt - DSP

Bridgett Funk - Residence Supervisor

United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills

Centennial Manor IRA

Landon Oakes - DSP

United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills

Pleasant Valley IRA

Aimee Lobdell - DSP

Alanna Vassar - DSP

United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills

Spruce Street IRA

Shelby Fritz - DSP

United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills

Rensselaer Falls IRA

Dujeiry Rodriguez Hernandez - DSP

Janesha Brown - DSP

United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills

Kendrew IRA

Kaitlin Ward - Assistant Program Leader

United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills

Lisbon IRA

Alyvia Stott - DSP

Megan Frye - DSP

United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills

Flackville IRA

Paisley Forrest - DSP

Emily Turner - DSP

Kassidy Ward - DSP

Melissa LaFleur - RN Nurse Manager

United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills

Health Home Care Coordination

Dallas Bastien - Specialized Care Manager

Coalition Aiming to Inform Public of State's Neglect

OGDENSBURG – United Helpers COO Stacey Cannizzo is joining leaders from 25 other non-profit nursing homes across Upstate New York in sending strongly worded statements to media in their community to alert citizens of the on-going lack of response from the governor on senior care issues.

“The end of 2022 marks a troublesome new milestone that most people are unaware of,” Mrs. Cannizzo wrote. “It marks 15 years since the state has raised the daily Medicaid rate paid to nursing homes to account for inflation.”

Given that the last increase was awarded in 2008 this failure extends back prior to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration through Andrew Cuomo’s entire 11 year term and into the final years of David Paterson’s time as governor.

“New York has distinguished itself as being dead last, or at best second to last, in what it reimburses nursing homes compared to actual costs,” Mrs. Cannizzo wrote citing multiple studies which compare nursing home costs and reimbursement rates across the country.

Citing those same studies, Mrs. Cannizzo said many states responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing the rates paid to nursing homes for care. At the same time, New York State cut those rates, not once, but twice, leading to a shortfall that exceeds $140 per resident, per day.

The lack of funding, she said is also making the staffing crisis faced by everyone in the medical community that much worse for nursing homes. 

“Nursing homes are unable to compete for the quality workforce we all aspire to. The result is very real if you’re in need of nursing care,” she wrote. “Due to staffing limitations, United Helpers is, for the first time in its history, leaving beds vacant.”

United Helpers is not alone, she said. Citing coalition data, Mrs. Cannizzo said there are more than 6,700 beds sitting empty for those same reasons, which is also negatively impacting hospital systems across the state. 

“When hospitals cannot discharge patients who need nursing home services, there are fewer, or in some cases no beds, for patients who truly need hospital care,” she wrote, adding this can also lead to patients sometimes being sent to facilities outside of the area, farther away from their families and loved ones.

In response to the past 15 years of neglect, Mrs. Cannizzo said the coalition is asking for a 20% increase in reimbursement rates to be included in the 2023-2024 budget.

“This is still less than half of the increase in costs we have absorbed over the past 15 years,” she wrote, noting the coalition has calculated that costs have risen by 42% over that same time.

“The people we serve deserve better from New York State. The outstanding employees who work in these settings deserve better. The family members who rely on us today, and the community who will look to us in the future deserve better too,” she said.

Those wishing to support the coalition’s efforts may send an automatically generated message to Gov. Hochul by visiting https://p2a.co/Q2wLwJZ. People may also reach out to Assemblyman Scott Gray, Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, Senator Mark Walczyk, and Senator Dan Stec.

Mr. Gray, Mr. Blankenbusg, Mr. Walczyk, and Mr. Stec all represent portions of St. Lawrence County in the state legislature.

 

On the web:

https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/mark-walczyk

https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/daniel-g-stec

https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=116 (Scott Gray)

https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Ken-Blankenbush

United Helpers Joins Coalition Fighting for Our Seniors

CANTON – United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care in Canton is one of 26 non-profit skilled nursing facilities from across Upstate New York taking part in a coalition aimed at delivering the message to Albany that they can no longer continue to ignore senior citizens and their families who rely on these facilities for care.

As part of this effort the United Helpers Management Company Board of Directors, as well as the Society of the United Helpers Board is asking members of the public to reach out to Gov. Kathy Hochul through this link, which will generate a message on your behalf, https://p2a.co/Q2wLwJZ.

“Skilled nursing facilities all across New York have not seen an operating rate inflation adjustment in their Medicaid reimbursement rates for 15 years, going back to 2007,” said United Helpers Chief Operating Officer Stacey Cannizzo. “These stagnant rates have led to operating losses, not only for United Helpers, but for facilities all across the state.”

According to data compiled by the coalition, the 26 facilities have a census capacity of 4,631 beds with an average financial loss per bed of $25,384 per year.

Over the past several years these losses have led to the closure of more than a dozen senior care facilities in the region, including United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care in Ogdensburg in 2021.

Using data provided by coalition members, there is a combined loss of $81.6 million for its 26 members in 2022. That’s an average of almost $3.14 million per facility.

“It’s almost as if the people responsible for making these funding decisions do not have parents, grandparents, or other loved ones who receive or could potentially one day receive skilled nursing care,” Mrs. Cannizzo said. “It’s disheartening to constantly read in the newspaper or see on TV about the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars available to other types of health care providers, but when it comes to folks in facilities such as ours, there is seldom any money available.”

With nearly 80% of the people receiving care through United Helpers relying on Medicaid and/or Medicare to pay for the services they receive, Mrs. Cannizzo said reimbursement rates from the government only provide enough funds to pay for roughly 50% of that care.

“The bottom line is New York State needs to do better for our seniors,” she said. “Along those lines we are compelling the state to provide skilled nursing facilities with a 20% increase to their reimbursement rate. We recognize that a 20% increase may sound like a lot, but if the state had not gone 15 years without an increase, we would not be in the situation where their lack of action has led to the closure of facilities such as ours.”

Mrs. Cannizzo said she would like to reassure both United Helpers employees, as well as family members for those receiving care in Canton that United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care is not in danger of closing at this time, but without some changes to the state’s funding structure each year that passes puts us closer to that point.

“For many of us our parents and grandparents are among the most important people in our lives. They deserve the same level of love and care in their golden years that they provided to us as children and young adults growing up” Mrs. Cannizzo said.

United Helpers Management Company Board of Directors President Dr. Galen Pletcher said the time for people to act is now.

“Skilled nursing facilities such as ours have been preaching this message for years, but it has continually fallen on deaf ears,” he said. “Perhaps if our representatives started hearing from the people they rely on for votes and campaign contributions, they will finally hear our message.”

Flackville IRA Residents Complete 10 5K Races in 2022, Hoping for 12 or More in 2023

HEUVELTON – As the calendar turns from 2022 to 2023 millions of people all around the world will be setting goals for the New Year with varying rates of success.

While the goal set by program members residing at the Flackville IRA in Heuvelton wasn’t technically a New Year’s Resolution, given it wasn’t set until five months into the year when they participated in United Helpers’ annual Mental Health Awareness Walk, it was a long-term goal successfully completed.

“The program members had such a great time,” said Program Leader Whitney Atkins, referring to the first walk. “They loved everything about the day. Getting outside, the fresh air, the sunshine, seeing their friends from the other houses, interacting with people from the community, and of course the walk, which in this case took them along them through a wooded nature trail in Canton. 

As they were riding back to the house, Ms. Atkins said she could hear program members talking amongst themselves about how they would like to do that again. Following a brief “family meeting,” she said the goal was set of completing 10 such events before the end of the calendar year.

The next walk came just a few weeks later, followed by another, and another, and before long program members had become local celebrities.

“We were able to get involved in so many different communities, meet new people, and see familiar faces at each event,” Ms. Atkins said. “Program members were often treated as celebrities when crossing the finish line. The cheers they received down the home stretch of each ‘race’ were right out of a Hollywood movie.”

 The completion of the goal, Ms. Atkins said, would not have been possible if not for the staff at the Flackville IRA, who in many instances came in on days off to accompany program members to these events.

“Staff could tell how much this meant to the residents, and as we were getting close to completing the goal, I could tell it really meant something to them too,” she said. “This past year was one we’ll never forget, but we’re already talking about trying to do at least 12 races in 2023.”

Mrs. Atkins said the goal of completing 10 5K races took them to communities across the North Country including Canton, Waddington, Lisbon, Rensselaer Falls, Heuvelton, Ogdensburg, Hammond, and even Sackets Harbor for a fall-themed event at Old MacDonald’s Farm.

Six program members from the home completed all 10 events, including Mary Fenimore, Joey Friot, Billy Bartlett, Thelma Swinyer, Sherry Forsythe, and Charlie Sarkin. Tammy Donnelly completed seven of the races. Two other program members whose names cannot be published also participated.

Staff involved included Mrs. Atkins, as well as Assistant Program Leader Wendy Baker, and Direct Support Professionals, Jess Brown, April Streeter, Jenn Davison, Brook Duprey, Renee Hooper, Susan Hooper, Pat Flagg, and Beth Bishop.

IRAs are homes for people with developmental disabilities. Each home is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. United Helpers currently operates 11 such homes in communities across St. Lawrence County.

Billy Bartlett is all smiles upon completing his 10^th 5K event of the 2022 calendar year. Program members at the Flackville IRA in Heuvelton set a goal of completing 10 such events during the course of the year and were able to do so, starting with the United Helpers Mental Health Awareness Walk in Canton and wrapping up with Heuvelton’s Gobble Gallop. Celebrating the accomplishment with Mr. Bartlett is Flackville IRA Program Leader Whitney Atkins.