On September 16, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) sent a letter to California’s Department of Public Health (CDPH) “strongly” urging it to reject Brius’ revised closure plans for three Humboldt nursing homes – Eureka, Pacific, and Seaview rehabilitation and wellness centers.
According to the letter, the amended plans still do not meet the concerns raised by the CDPH in its September 8 rejection letter, nor does it fall in line with state and federal regulations for closures and regulations. As a result, CANHR is asking CDPH to appoint receivers to operate the nursing homes rather than accept Brius’ plans to shutter them.
Here are some of the key points raised in CANHR’s letter:
There are only 39 available nursing home beds in Humboldt County, falling short of the amount needed for the 190 residents that would be displaced from Eureka, Pacific, and Seaview rehabilitation and wellness centers as a result of their closures.
Although Brius’ lists 48 nursing homes as possible transfer destinations for displaced residents, only half (24) actually have available bed space.
Of the 24 nursing homes that have available bed space, 23 are at least 100 miles from Eureka, including 5 that are in Oregon.
15 of these 24 nursing homes with open beds have been given “below average” ratings from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
There are 10 different Northern California counties where residents may end up as a result of the planned closures of these nursing homes. The list includes Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sonoma, and Tehema Counties. Del Norte County is the nearest of these, and it is still more than 80 miles from Eureka.