AUGUSTA, Maine — As we close in on two years of the pandemic, many nursing homes are shutting down because of limited staffing and other challenges. The Maine Hospital Association estimates one to two nursing homes are closing each year on average.
In September, four facilities announced closures, including Country Manor in Coopers Mills, the Somerset Rehabilitation and Living Center in Bingham, and Island Nursing Home and Care Center on Deer Isle -- the only long-term care facility on that island.
Maine lawmakers are currently reviewing a bill that would require nursing homes to notify the state's hospitals if a long-term care facility is planning to close.
As it stands, long-term care facilities have to provide a closure plan to the Department of Health and Human Services. Once DHHS approves the plan, the facility notifies people who live there, as well as family members and staff.
Nursing home closures can come as a surprise to the community and leave families worried where their loved ones will go next. That's why Rep. Genevieve McDonald, D-Stonington, is sponsoring a bill that would require nursing homes to notify local hospitals if they plan to close.
McDonald said she saw firsthand how closures affect families when the Island Nursing Home closed over the summer.
"It created a tremendous amount of stress for families wondering where their loved ones would go if there would even be suitable long-term care placements," she said.
Those in favor of the bill, say it's just one more step in the closure process.
"Upon notice of a closure, which happens once or twice a year, DHHS write a four-sentence email which should take about 30 seconds," Jeff Austin of the Maine Hospital Association said.
Angela Westoff, executive director of the Maine Healthcare Association, disagrees. She testified against the bill.
"We believe that increased communication and sharing of best practices between hospitals and local nursing facilities may be a better path to pursue given the delicate nature of facility closures," she said.
Rural hospital leaders, including Cindy Wade from LincolnHealth, say notifying hospitals can help them better prepare for these closures.
"If we had the heads up that facilities are closing, we would have much more preparation," she said.
Wade added that nursing home residents can sometimes end up in the hospital if they go home to live with family members who can't give them the same level of care.