Nursing home hikes room rates

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hillcrest Board of Trustees voted unanimously to raise rates at Hillcrest Nursing home, citing the need to raise revenue and with current rates lower than other facilities.

The $6 rate increase on rooms will begin Jan. 1 and include the elimination of charging for wheelchairs and the inclusion of charging for incontinence supplies. Personal care items such as combs, toothbrushes and other non-nursing supplies will be supplied by the facility.

Hillcrest Administrator Colinda Nappa told the board at its regular meeting Tuesday morning that she did an informal survey with three other nursing homes within a 60-mile radius and found Hillcrest's rates were below all of them. Hillcrest rates start at $134 per day; rates from the other facilities began at $140, $162.10 and $159.13.

Board member Karen Kliment asked how the rates were estimated at Hillcrest and Nappa said upon admission, $162 a day is charged, until an assessment of level of care is completed, with rates adjusted accordingly.

Nappa continued that costs for supplies have been increasing rapidly, citing charges for fuel, mileage and if a supplier has to come more than once a week.

Red Willow County Commissioner Vesta Dack, who sits on Board of Trustee meetings as a representative of the county, asked if there was any way the facility could decrease the costs of using temporary nurses from an agency.

According the audit report, 8.1 percent of the 2013 budget, or $526,179, was spent on pool nursing, an increase from 4.5 percent or $284,156 in 2012. That is why hiring permanent nurses is imperative, she said.

Pool nursing is used to supplement the nursing staff, until enough permanent nurses are hired.

Nappa said improvements are already being seen in that area, with decreased overtime. "We're eating that elephant one bite at a time," she said.

There are 94 residents at Hillcrest as of Tuesday, with two on a waiting list. The facility has room for 100 residents. There are 10 apartments in Assisted Living, with nine filled. There were 91 residents this time last year.

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