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‘It’s challenging for them to be able to make ends meet’: The state of nursing homes; Now You Know Akron

Akron Beacon Journal - 9/15/2021

In this edition of the Now You Know Akron podcast, host Craig Webb and Beacon Journal reporter Amanda Garrett talk to Ohio's long-term care ombudsman Beverly Laubert about the state of nursing homes in Ohio.

Laubert said long-term care during a pandemic is a complex issue.

"It's difficult enough, and then faced with COVID ... it just is nothing that anyone ever expected," she said.

More: 'It was so quick.' The story behind Stow-Glen Retirement Village's abrupt, chaotic closure

More: Why we took a closer look at the closure of Stow-Glen Retirement Village

Many facilities, according the Garrett, are facing financial troubles, highlighted by the recent closure of Stow-Glen Retirement Village.

"Stow-Glen Retirement Village had been around 37 years and they served people at three different levels," Garrett said. "There were all sorts of people impacted by this. In some cases they only provided a couple days for residents to move, so it was chaos."

Laubert said because of the pandemic, many people faced difficult decisions concerning their loved ones.

More: What will happen to Stow-Glen property and will former employees get back wages?

More: Could Stow-Glen's closure signal trouble for other long-term care providers across Ohio?

"We have heard that with a low census because of the pandemic, people had choices to make," Laubert said. "Whether to have their loved one go to a long-term care facility knowing they wouldn't be able to visit them frequently ... some people stayed home longer."

"Or the short-term rehabilitation that many nursing homes rely on because of higher Medicare rates for rehabilitation, and people weren't having elective surgeries ... that might have follow up care. We see many facilities with a low census. So it's challenging for them to be able to make ends meet."

Don't see a podcast player above? Listen directly to the Now You Know podcast here. Or download/subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify.

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