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.”

Woman Returns to United Helpers for Physical Therapy

CANTON – When Roxann Koch’s husband David was receiving skilled nursing care he lived at what was then known as Maplewood Health Care & Rehabilitation Center in Canton.

“The care my husband received was great,” she said. “All of the staff were very nice to him and very understanding.” 

Physical Therapist Assistant Jena Cryderman w/ Roxann Koch

​So when the time came for Mrs. Koch to decide where she would like to spend a brief inpatient stay after knee-replacement surgery, the choice was a simple one.

Three days after her surgery she was discharged to United Helpers Rehabilitation & Senior Care in Canton.

“I spent ten days here and everything was very good,” she said. “I received my pain medication when I asked for it and all of my needs were taken care of by the staff. I was very pleased.”

When Mrs. Koch first came to United Helpers following her surgery, she was using a walker all of the time. However, after a ten-day stay, she was able to switch to using a cane, at least most of the time.

“I still do sometimes use my walker in the house, but when I go get the newspaper I use my cane,” she said, explaining that to get the paper, she must walk down her driveway, across the street and back.

Physical Therapist Assistant
Jena Cryderman w/ Roxann Koch

Physical therapy now consists of outpatient appointments three times a week, and if all goes well, Mrs. Koch said she is hoping to once again walk without the assistance of a cane or walker, although for her own peace of mind, she said she is not planning to get rid of her cane.

“I will always have my cane, just for the comfort of knowing it’s there if I need it,” she said.

Physical Therapist Assistant Jena Cryderman, who has been working with Mrs. Koch, said walking without a cane is a good goal to have. 

“That’s certainly reasonable and a goal we’re working towards,” Ms. Cryderman said.

When asked if she would recommend United Helpers to others, Mrs. Koch said it did not matter what the service was, whether it be skilled nursing, inpatient therapy services or outpatient therapy services, she would, and she has recommended United Helpers to “anyone and everyone.”

For more information on therapy services in Canton, please call (315) 386-4541 ext. 3217. For information on therapy services in Ogdensburg, please call (315) 393-0730 ext. 2156. You may also like United Helpers on Facebook or visit www.unitedhelpers.org.