Monday, April 19, 2010
For Immediate Release
Contact Deborah Pacyna
916-441-6400 ext. 226
dpacyna@cahf.org
The following statement is from Jim Gomez, CEO/President of the California Association of Health Facilities.
“The April 17 California Watch article, ‘Nursing homes receive millions while cutting staff, wages,’ is deceptive and a disservice to providers, employees and 300,000 Californians who receive quality, compassionate care at skilled nursing facilities each year.
“As a result of a self-imposed fee, California’s nursing homes received $880 million between 2004 and 2008 and spent 96% of that money to pay for expenses and provide care and services. The law allows for facilities to derive a modest profit. Reasonable profits allow owners to hire more staff, provide better care, make physical improvements, borrow money and maintain stability. Profit margins went from minus .96% in 2003 to 3.41% in 2008. Who would want to place a loved one in a home that was not allowed to operate in the black?
“Skilled nursing care continues to improve in California. Turnover is down by 11% since 2002. Between 2004 and 2008, overall wages, salaries and benefits increased 27%. Individual wages may have decreased in facilities where experienced staff retire and were replaced with less experienced, less expensive employees.
“Overall staffing also increased between 2004 and 2008. The minimum staffing requirement is 3.2 nursing hours per patient day (nhppd). The national average is 3.3 nhppd. The average staffing level in California is now at 3.6 nhppd. The vast majority, 94% of facilities, meets or exceeds the state standard. The article unfairly targets facilities where staffing may have risen in 2004, dropped in 2005 and risen again in 2006 and labels that as improper – a distortion of reality. Staff fluctuations are a natural part of any business and not against the law.
“The article selectively ignored aggregate data and singled out a small number of facilities where staffing fluctuated – and where wages may have legitimately declined – and added the numbers together to reach an incorrect and misleading conclusion, ignoring the positive trends taking place in the profession.
“The delivery of compassionate, quality care remains the No.1 priority of our members. No matter how the numbers are sliced, care continues to improve. In 2008, 82% of residents surveyed said the care they received was good or excellent and that they would recommend the facility to others.
“It’s troubling that selective, sensational stories are being used to undercut the quiet work of the majority – thousands of hard-working, dedicated employees who are providing 24-hour care for the state’s most vulnerable citizens. In the face of these unending attacks, they continue their difficult work, bringing day-to-day comfort as well as economic stability to hundreds of California communities.”
About CAHF
Founded in 1950, the California Association of Health Facilities is a non-profit professional association representing skilled-nursing facilities and intermediate-care facilities for the developmentally disabled. It is dedicated to providing quality care for the frail, elderly, developmentally disabled and those with chronic mental illness. Each year, CAHF members provide short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, end-of-life assistance and critical habilitative nursing services for 300,000 people. CAHF is the largest provider of continuing education for long-term care providers in California. For more information, visit www.cahf.org.