Cuts would hurt nursing home residents
The residents at Alden Long Grove Rehab and Health Care Center are at risk as the state considers drastic cuts to Medicaid funding.
Nursing homes across the state suffered $15 million in cuts for May and June and are now facing the possibility of $230 million in cuts for all of Fiscal Year 2016.
Such cuts would have a serious impact on the quality of care at Alden Long Grove. We would be forced to decrease staffing to bare minimums and eliminate extras that create the homelike environment our residents and their families have come to expect.
We would also be forced to cut the level of activities for residents and would be forced to delay needed renovations.
Remember, our residents are the ones who worked their whole lives, paid their taxes, served our country and built our community. But, in many cases, they have outlived their resources.
When it comes to deciding where to cut, our residents must be our top priority. Please join me in calling on elected officials in Springfield to hold the line on Medicaid funding for nursing homes.
Bryan Pottow, Administrator
Alden Long Grove
Long Grove