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Letter to the Editor

Caring for All of Our Citizens

Joe Perrello
Posted 10/4/24

District 7 Legislator

Fallsburg, NY

To the editor:

For over two years, I’ve heard the back-and-forth over the Adult Care Center - sell it, lease it, take it back. It’s time …

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Letter to the Editor

Caring for All of Our Citizens

Posted

District 7 Legislator

Fallsburg, NY

To the editor:

For over two years, I’ve heard the back-and-forth over the Adult Care Center - sell it, lease it, take it back. It’s time for the Legislature to do something, and I vote for moving forward.

We’ve all repeatedly heard and seen the concerns and criticisms about the facility and our consultant from a small group that continually brings it up at Legislature meetings and on social media. I’m tired of hearing them repeat themselves over and over, and I don’t for a minute believe they represent anywhere near the majority of residents and taxpayers in Sullivan County.

Do the majority of taxpayers want to see their taxes hiked by double digits to return the Care Center to a County-only operation? Many residents and taxpayers may not support the significant tax increases required to bring the Care Center back under full county control. In contrast, leasing it to an experienced operator, such Infinite Care or another provider, is to be a more sustainable option.

Whether it’s our current consultant, Infinite Care, or somebody else who ends up leasing the Care Center, they’ll know a lot better than we do how to run a place that has to be profitable to survive. The escalating cost of operations is a major issue around the State and nation. Close to half of the 62 counties in New York State used to run nursing homes. That’s now down to just 14 (and soon 13, since one is in the final stages of being sold). Sullivan County is not wealthy enough to continue paying for the Care Center unless we raise taxes so high that every one of us legislators would be thrown out of office.

Municipalities in government have no business operating a nursing home facility. This is not our specialty, and hiring quality, qualified people to run a nursing home in a rural, low-paying area is extremely difficult. Yet month after month, the same small group of individuals with a narrow focus present their criticisms and concerns, as if they possess the definitive solutions to the widespread challenges facing nursing homes. The resource demands this makes on Sullivan County are large, burdensome and inefficient.

A private company, on the other hand, is in a good position to provide the kind of care and responsible management that we all want for our older population. But they’ve got to be free of the time-consuming procurement procedures that municipalities like us have to follow, so that they can provide care in a fiscally sustainable way. Despite what you hear from a small group, it’s not about lining their pockets at residents’ expense – it’s about having enough consistent revenue to pay staff competitively, to maintain high standards of cleanliness and care, and to constantly invest in, repair and upgrade equipment.

I’ve visited and talked with the Care Center as well as County staff, most of whom have already joined Infinite Care and are pleased with the change. I’ve also spoken with constituents, and many share the belief that a private operator is the best solution moving forward, whether or not the county retains ownership. 

A lot of the debate in Legislature boils down to whether you believe that nursing homes should be publicly operated or privately operated. I 100% believe that better care and lower taxpayer costs can and will happen with a private operator who leases the Care Center from us. For the good of all the people of Sullivan County, including the best interests of those who use and live at the facility, I want us to head in the right direction as soon as possible.

I don’t want to see the Care Center closed. It provides a valuable service to residents, and by leasing it to a professional operator, Sullivan County will ensure it’s always there for those who need it.

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