Wauneta nursing home analyzes options for survival

Financial challenges with nursing home survival continue to raise concerns at Wauneta Care and Therapy Center. Although the suffering industry shows homes closing across the state, Wauneta Care and Therapy Center Administrator Lisa Kisinger holds hope that things will turn around.
    Kisinger shared concerns with the Wauneta Village Board at its meeting last Tuesday. Cuts continue on Medicaid funding and the home is losing $46 per day for Medicaid residents. There currently aren’t enough private and Medicare residents to cover that loss.
    Increasing the current 28-resident status to closer fill the 36-bed capacity would be the best direction.
    Cutting expenses is the next consideration although most expenses are fixed costs such as insurance, bonds, utilities, management fee, etc. It’s difficult to cut staff hours in the areas of care, cooking and cleaning without affecting employee retention and living quality.
    Unpopular options would be to place a levy on Wauneta’s taxes or to increase resident rates. Raising rates puts a risk on losing residents to other homes. Kisinger said it might take cooperation between area homes for everyone to raise rates.
    She said the Village has been fortunate to put away profits the past five to six years and something needs to change to keep from having that cash reserve eaten up.
    
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