Nursing homes represent one of the most important services provided to our Seniors.. The Grafton County Nursing Home represents 40% of our county’s $53 million dollar budget. Two items caught my attention when I entered the legislature. During the beginning of COVID, seniors in NH Nursing Homes were dying at a very high, 6% rate. House Bill HB 278, which I sponsored, created a committee to understand the causes and possible remedies to high mortality rates in NH.
Nursing homes provide a critical service for seniors. Ruth Balmer and Alvin Lee (shown in recent visits) currently live in the Grafton County Nursing Home. I am grateful that Administrator Lapore provides a great facility for these deserving seniors.
In my current term as State Representative, when I meet with leadership from the New Hampshire Hospital Association (NHHA) to discuss priorities for Medicaid spending, the NHHA stated “we have patients in our hospitals with nowhere to go….use the [state funds] to help us move these patients out of the hospitals (in particular, nursing homes and independent living). This led me to modify both the state and county budgets to increase utilization of the nursing home at the county level and improve the attractiveness of the facility for highly trained and motivated nurses. This was done through legislative and budgeting processes.
Authored bill creating a safety commission during Covid.- Participated on the safety commission which made more than a dozen recommendations to the state.
- Prioritized increasing Medicaid rates for nursing homes as part of the 2023-2025 State of New Hampshire operating budget.
- Increased nurse rates at the Grafton County Assisted Living Center to increase capacity and reduce dependence on traveling nurses, which are expensive
- Center capacity increased by 20% in one year
Authored bill creating a safety commission during Covid.