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We have a nursing home that has an excellent reputation and is highly praised by patients and families alike.

Apparently, Ms. Thorne didn't read the state report in which Glendale was cited for over a dozen
violations.  

Those feeding at the public trough, don't want their swill reduced.  As to their assertions
that public service employees can provide better services to the elderly at a lower cost than
private businesses, I reply "hogwash".

I would be interested to learn if and how many of the residents of Glendale are politically connected
to those in local government or "influential" residents of Schenectady County.  Fruther, how many
patients could have been admitted to other nursing homes, particularly those that are privately
owned and managed?  How are admissions decisions reached?

We are led by county government representatives to believe that those at Glendale are both
destitute and severely inflicted by illnesses for which other homes could not adequately provide care.  If, indeed, these claims are valid and the residents of Glendale have no other options, then society has an obligation to care for them.  How that is provided, is a subject of debate.  I would appreciate first some evidence to support these contentions, rather than being asked to accept them without evidence by those who benefit from the government run facility.

Senders, as I recall, you are in the Health Care business.  Any insight that you care to share?

Bottom line......

- Glendale does NOT have an excellent reputation
- Glendale DOES take residents whether they can pay or not.
- Private nursing homes DO 'cherry pick'.
- We can NOT afford Glendale.

I strongly believe that the government should NOT be in the nursing home business. However, I also see that there IS a need for the elderly that have paid their dues in life, made just enough money to get by in life with nothing left except a social security check in the end. So here are a few suggestions............

1. Sell it  to a private business.
2. Sell it to a new not-for-profit or an existing not-for-profit
.........OR...........
3. Start to compete with the private sector. FIRST AND FOREMOST clean up the place and raise the bar and raise Glendale's rating to a 5 star rating. 'Cherry pick' for some private pays. Just a few private pays should help decrease the deficit that exists year after year after year, that we the taxpayers must eat.

If the government wants to be 'in business', than act it and start to compete!!! If Glendale is so damn great, than why aren't the private pays knocking down the doors to get in and on their waiting list? Why is it that only the private nursing homes have waiting lists a mile long? Because they offer far more superior services than Glendale does today or ever did for that matter.

These are the facts folks. If this isn't proof that private businesses can do it better than government, I don't know what does.

I agree that the government should be out of the business of owning and running nursing homes.  Glendale should be sold to the private sector.  
The government should provide oversight as it does for other nursing homes, hospitals, etc.

If the residents require financial assistance, the county and/or state governments could consider subsidizing the patient costs depending on
proven need.  

Quoted from 78

If the residents require financial assistance, the county and/or state governments could consider subsidizing the patient costs depending on
proven need.  

They do that now Brad, through Medicaid. One needs to be qualified for medicaid in a nursing home. And the more "qualifiers" you have, (which means that the more that is wrong with the person that needs skilled nursing), the more money medicaid provides. In my mom's case, who "only" has a severe case of dementia, there are not enough "qualifiers" for a private nursing home. She would need to have many more things wrong with her, such as being blind, complications from diabetes, had a disability due to a stoke, is tube fed, etc. These are the government/medicaid guidelines.

Glendale will accept the people with less qualifiers and make up the cost difference through tax dollars.

Perhaps, the equation needs to be modified so that the subsidies for the more severe "qualifiers' are greater in comparison to the subsidies for those conditions/afflictions that require less extensive care.  Then, the economics may entice private nursing homes to accept and care for those individuals requiring more intensive care.  I'm suggesting that those with more severe conditions receive greater Medicaid contribution/benefits than those who may be able to continue to live by themselves or be cared for by family members with the assistance of home care professionals.  

Private businesses make decisions based on financial considerations.  If there is a shortage of nursing home care for those patients/residents who require
enhanced services, the equation must be changed so that the private nursing homes won't "cherry pick" and force government to assume ownership of a
responsibilty for which they are unprepared and don't belong.

With all of the nursing facilities around.....Glendale is the LAST RESORT! And I disagree. I believe that the private nursing homes should have the right to 'cherry pick'. After all, it is a PRIVATE BUSINESS!! That is capitalism.

Go visit a private nursing home and then go visit Glendale. There is no comparison. Believe me, you wouldn't want to end up at Glendale IF you had the choice. And I realize that some don't have that choice.

Just get rid of these ridiculous HMO's. (that is what killed our health care to begin with) Encourage healthy competition between private health care companies. Let doctors do their jobs. And why not turn Glendale over to the Eddy?

What I would like to know, is how the heck could a bustling county such as Schenectady was, end up being such a POOR, WELFARE, MEDICAID, GOVERNMENT DEPENDENT, CRIME RIDDEN county? With the thousands of people who were and are employeed by the public employees and GE that boasts 'great retirement' benefits...how did this happen????

We need to change directions. We need new leadership. IMHO

I agree with you Bumble that there was no reason for Schdy County to be reduced to the level that it is today. Our dysfunctional County government has got to take the bulk of the responsibility for not taking the appropriate steps to stop the flood of businesses from fleeing this county when it was possible to do so. Metroplex is a proven failure and has done not a thing but waste valuable tax revenues on businesses which fail and to cover their mistakes, the county raises the taxes so they can waste even more taxpayer dollars IMHO.

Bumble,

My thought is not to eliminate the right of private nursing homes to determine who they accept, but, rather, to make it more appealing from
a financial perspective for them to accept some of those who require more extensive care.  They should not be forced to accept ANY patient.  
They should, however, be compensated fairly for accepting those who require greater care at a higher excpense.

I am probably not explaining myself. It is easier for me to talk than to post to get my point across. Sorry. I'll try again.

The private nursing homes 'cherry pick' for the patients that DO NEED MORE EXTENSIVE CARE. That is where the money is. The people who need extensive care, ultimately have MORE qualifiers, which in turn means more nursing skills needed, which in turn means MORE GOVERNMENT MONEY. Match that up with people who have good health insurance and have bucks in the bank, and you have just about guaranteed yourself a bed in a great private nursing home.

Remember, these private nursing homes need to find people who will bring them the most bucks. They are in business to make money, and make a profit, just like any other business. And I think they do an excellent job.

The qualifiers are fine and dandy....but, as a person ages other things go wrong.....there is a whole time period of assessment and evaluation of which
no one gets paid but, care still must be delivered.....the government/insurance dont care....they have what are called ICD codes.....yup....we are numbered

sloppy cold system......a home like Glendale is needed for those without family(and believe it or not there are folks like that)......however, if we all sat
here and compared our savings accounts/portfolios,,,,I will tell you this......by the time we reached retirement age, and even if we did already

You cant afford me and I cant afford you.......why?.....cost of living increases(history tells us) and no one knows what type/how long you will need care....

we gamble on ourselves.....and YES....there will always be those folks who can jet set around with their own personal butt wiper/pill crusher/podiatrists etc..

the fact of the matter being there are some many backward things in our society that this is actually an issue in this present time of luxury........

anyone stop going to duncan dognuts or starbucks or stewarts  before work??? turn in that cell phone? etc etc........

we complain about cost and yup, that is an issue.....but, the rubber meets the road when a demented elderly person is being assisted in the bathroom
because they have (I'll say it PC) soiled themselves and proceed to kick you, hit you etc because they dont understand, and yet they cry because they
are totally embarrassed.......what price tag do we put on that????? cost more than a coffee stop??? the cost of an SUV?? what???

the system is broken and folks should be required to pay what ever they have left....albeit $1000.00 or $1,000,000.00 what ever.......it's our life......

you want the kids to have it......pass it on when you can see them use it....dont use it over them until you die........JMHO

aged wisdom and moderation is what is lacking today........

But, I will say this.....there are folks that have retired from county service and get their health insurance paid for, for the rest of their lives......Not too sure
if this has been removed from their union negotiated contract.....

This still wont guarantee them a spot higher up in the cherry pickins'........

EVERYONE---GET LONGTERM CARE INSURANCE........either the government will kick it in or your own saving/spending savvy will.......
it will always cost more than we think it will....ALWAYS.........but, that is NOT where the rubber meets the road.......

Look, if I have to pay union workers a great wage with great benefits, to take care of the elderly, than so be it. BUT....theybetter provide me with a 5 star rating. They had better give these old folks the best care available. I want my money's worth!

Quoted from bumblethru

Look, if I have to pay union workers a great wage with great benefits, to take care of the elderly, than so be it. BUT....theybetter provide me with a 5 star rating. They had better give these old folks the best care available. I want my money's worth!

I agree, but their guage is missing a bubble.....and that is the bubble that NO ONE can afford and it cannot be measured......

can you see the wind....no, just the effects......

well, that intimate bubble is what society has failed to deem important and has not raised up a generation to it's importance.....
I'm sure Paris Hilton will take a job in my field.....yeah, right.......

the cloth we have made to cover and protect our elderly and disabled, frail, young etc.....has ALOT of holes in it......why?

and you're right getting what we pay for is all we ever talk about.....however, we dont want to pay some cold, disinterested, but yet
very professional person the same as the one who really gets it, and truely comes up side by side with their resident able to carry
their aged burden.........a union cannot ferret them out.......JMHO

see, you cant afford me and I cant afford you......yet here we are not starving, not freezing and typing on this forum on the
WORLD WIDE WEB.......

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Public nursing homes are worth keeping open

    I have been reading many articles about counties wanting to get out of the nursing home business and the many financial issues that touch all taxpayers. After much soul searching, I need to speak out for all county nursing homes!
    Our government closed mental health care facilities, promising better places for our residents, but instead has let our population get lost in the cracks. Our county nursing homes are unique because we care for those left behind. We shelter and nurture those who other facilities do not want or cannot care for.
    Families that have nowhere to turn in times of health crisis should still be able turn to county facilities. They need us to help shoulder the burdens of caring for loved ones, while still allowing them to be productive members and taxpayers.
    Do not let anyone make our facilities private. We need to maintain our uniqueness, we need to keep on helping those who need us. We need to ensure our workers that their jobs are safe and their work is appreciated. We need to maintain a safe staff number at all times. We need to weed out the blatantly uncaring people and prove that honesty and caring will be our way of the future.

    JUNE MANISCALCO
    Colonie

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00706

Is June saying that the government can do it better than the private sector?  Did she read the ratings for the Glendale nursing home lately? Sure there are some screw ups in the private sector. But they clearly do a better job than the government.

Schenectady County has more non-profits than you can shake a stick at. And not to mention the Eddy. You mean to tell me that the Eddy can't handle the need?



And maybe June was referring to the Schenectady County politicians here.

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We need to weed out the blatantly uncaring people and prove that honesty and caring will be our way of the future.