Virginia Regulatory Town Hall View Comments

10/4/10 12:10 pm

Commenter: Frankie Mino,r Admistrator ,Chestnut Grove Assisted Living,Lee County

The general survival of the Auxiliary Grant ALF

The current auxiliary grant rate is $37.00 per day.This rate only covers around 50% of the cost.This is supported by studies done by the area on aging and J.L.A.R.C done in 2005. The assisted living pay has been elliminated ,with further future cuts.The 90 day residency requirment for auxiliary grant could easily cause harm and financial hardship on ALFs in Western Va.

We played a major impact ,downsizing from state facilities in the 80's .We help the state save millions.

The only reason I have found documented for this regulation is ,to save the bed for a virginia resident.Well you may not even have to worry about that,if this regulation goes into effect ,the facility may not even be their .

The real reason is severly mental ill being admitted to ALFs and shortly thereafter requiring hospitazation in a state facility.Regulations have been beefed up to help prevent this from occuring including facilities being more accountable for whom they admit,possible facing a fine of $10,000.

I have 37 employee's.Jobs are hardgto come by.If I was forced to close my facility due to these regs.passing ,much more money could be paid out from the state in their basic needs.I pay a large amount back to the state in payroll taxes,property taxes,as well everything purchased to provide the service.And last but not least ,the residentwho need this service.

Poor disabled residents should be able to go where they choose for their services needed.

The Department of Social Services prohibit discrimination against people based on disabilities or income.This seems like it is doing just that.

Virginia is 47th in the nation in the amount of funding for Medicaid.

Virginia is 1 of 9 states as of 2007 that does not have a Medicaid Waiver.It's a shame ,people who run out of money ,have to sell raffle tickets in order for them to stay in the assisted living of their choosing.

When are people going to wake up and do something about this,instead of making more rules and regulations that impact our survival.

This is and could be a more serious problem in Virginia.Most ALFs in Virginia do not accept the low rate ,heavy documented ,Auxiliary Grant

.For myself Example:,Say if I had 60 auxiliary grant residents, 60 private pay residents wished to be admitted to my facility.I would be forced to discharge the a.g. and admit private pays.This could be the future.

A lot of work and issues need to be done.

This is the wrong time for this regulation.I oppose the residency requirement.Our veterans need opposition to this as well.They have sacrificed a lot for us.That's the least we can do for them.

The passing of this bill could have a gegative impact and create a financial hardship on by facility .This would directly impact 37 employee's income,95 resident in care as well as tax income for the State of Virginia.

Thank You for this opportunity,I hope my concerns and suggestions will be taken serio

CommentID: 14448

10/6/10 11:23 am

Commenter: tawana bryant / Independent home owner

Ag homes

Type ove

Where are they now? Is one of the most clicked on websites of today? You can scroll down the list of any big time star or player and find out exactly where they are today. That is the question of the hour. Where is the secretary of Health that allowed a pseudo-nursing home to integrate itself into a social sector of society instead of under a medical mode, as a disguise to save cost. Where is the major patron of the senate bill 1183 that stated that residential care facilities will not be a part of the large driven money-making assisted living facilities? And where are the all the board members and nurses that pushed for less stringent rules and regulations and training that would be needed under the Department of health, who are not now consultants and trainers who have benefited and prospered from this bill. And where are the residential care facilities, minorities, otherwise small businesses that are striving to stay afloat, harassed because they want change, and out of business because their purpose was extended through regulations and hardships occurred.

The new law created by SB1183 contradicts our very purpose and what we do and who we are as an industry. We are not long-term care facilities and Virginia Department of Social Services states” Assisted living facilities (ALFs) are non-medical residential settings that provide or coordinate personal and health care services, 24-hour supervision, and assistance for the care of four or more adults who are aged, infirm or disabled. Assisted living facilities are not nursing homes. A nursing home is a facility in which the primary function is the provision, on a continuing basis, of nursing services and health-related services for the treatment and inpatient care of two or more non-related individuals.

Our purpose from the very beginning is to accept the poor, the disabled, and the infirm and only provide room and board, maintenance of care as thou the client was at home. We are unable to profit because of the limit on what we can charge a client and the regulations set by the state that oversteps it scope of purpose that incurs a hardship on small business that accept these individuals the underprivileged and the disenfranchised.

In 2000, we were defined as Adult Care Residence that clearly fit our purpose and we maintained a balance regulation and a growing respect as People began to accept the housing of the intellectual disabled and De-institutionalism began to lose its negative stigma.

At that time, Adult care residence as stated in the code 63-1-175 stated; that no facility licensed exclusively as an adult care residence shall not use in its title the words convalescent, health hospital, nursing, or sanatorium….

So, how did this industry get over into the social setting of the department of social services? By redefining one industry without public participation, without public education, and leaving out the key players such as the small business who had no input in their monopoly game as they took over the Adult Care Residence. We were promised that before the bill took place because we only provided for the young, the independent, and our scope of our purpose was to prompt and encourage our client to live at the highest level of care we would be exempt from Senate Bill 1183 that makes us look like medical facilities to our inspectors, insurances, employees, and society as a whole, our identity have been stolen and we ask that we be given it back, that our regulations fit our range and scope of what we are attended, that we be free from harassment so that we can run our businesses and that someone would step in help implement immediate remedies that will bring relief to these businessesr this text and enter your comments here. You are limited to approximately 3000 words.

Where are they now? Is one of the most clicked on websites of today? You can scroll down the list of any big time star or player and find out exactly where they are today. That is the question of the hour. Where is the secretary of Health that allowed a pseudo-nursing home to integrate itself into a social sector of society instead of under a medical mode, as a disguise to save cost. Where is the major patron of the senate bill 1183 that stated that residential care facilities will not be a part of the large driven money-making assisted living facilities? And where are the all the board members and nurses that pushed for less stringent rules and regulations and training that would be needed under the Department of health, who are not now consultants and trainers who have benefited and prospered from this bill. And where are the residential care facilities, minorities, otherwise small businesses that are striving to stay afloat, harassed because they want change, and out of business because their purpose was extended through regulations and hardships occurred.

The new law created by SB1183 contradicts our very purpose and what we do and who we are as an industry. We are not long-term care facilities and Virginia Department of Social Services states” Assisted living facilities (ALFs) are non-medical residential settings that provide or coordinate personal and health care services, 24-hour supervision, and assistance for the care of four or more adults who are aged, infirm or disabled. Assisted living facilities are not nursing homes. A nursing home is a facility in which the primary function is the provision, on a continuing basis, of nursing services and health-related services for the treatment and inpatient care of two or more non-related individuals.

Our purpose from the very beginning is to accept the poor, the disabled, and the infirm and only provide room and board, maintenance of care as thou the client was at home. We are unable to profit because of the limit on what we can charge a client and the regulations set by the state that oversteps it scope of purpose that incurs a hardship on small business that accept these individuals the underprivileged and the disenfranchised.

In 2000, we were defined as Adult Care Residence that clearly fit our purpose and we maintained a balance regulation and a growing respect as People began to accept the housing of the intellectual disabled and De-institutionalism began to lose its negative stigma.

At that time, Adult care residence as stated in the code 63-1-175 stated; that no facility licensed exclusively as an adult care residence shall not use in its title the words convalescent, health hospital, nursing, or sanatorium….

So, how did this industry get over into the social setting of the department of social services? By redefining one industry without public participation, without public education, and leaving out the key players such as the small business who had no input in their monopoly game as they took over the Adult Care Residence. We were promised that before the bill took place because we only provided for the young, the independent, and our scope of our purpose was to prompt and encourage our client to live at the highest level of care we would be exempt from Senate Bill 1183 that makes us look like medical facilities to our inspectors, insurances, employees, and society as a whole, our identity have been stolen and we ask that we be given it back, that our regulations fit our range and scope of what we are attended, that we be free from harassment so that we can run our businesses and that someone would step in help implement immediate remedies that will bring relief to these businesses

CommentID: 14452

10/14/10 5:14 pm

Commenter: Laverne Canter, Fort Shelby Manor Assisted Living Facility

Residenty requirement

I am commenting in regards to the residency requirements that are being proposed for auxillary grant recipients. I have an assisted living facility in Bristol, Virginia about four block from the Tennessee line. The nearest hospital to my facility is in Bristol, Tennessee and most of my residents use Tennessee doctors because of location of offices. My facility is licensed for 44 residents. I presently have 37 residents and 29 of those are auxillary grant qualified and many of them came from Tennessee. I am the only assisted living home in Bristol who will take auxillary grant at the present, so many of poor elderly in my town, whether it be Tennessee or Virginia have had a place to go when the need has arrised. We already operate on a shoestring budget because of the pittifully low rate and now you are proposing to make us wait 90 days to even apply for auxillary grant. Can a person not move from one state to another in this country without being penalized? Is this not infinging on their rights? We have almost been regulated out of business already and are operating under "medical regulations" without the proper re-imbursement. We are not considered "medical facilities" This is a slap in the face to our elderly who are in need of our care and to the people who care for them. Our population is aging quickly and I'm afraid that many of them will be on the streets, because there will not be any facilities who can afford to care for them. Please do not pass this requirement. We cannot keep people for any less than what we are doing presently.

CommentID: 14487