MONROE - Pleasant View Nursing Home is formally decreasing the number of patients it can accept to better align with population trends at the skilled nursing facility.
Terry Snow, Pleasant View administrator, reported to the Green County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the nursing home downgraded its license to 110 beds, effective Oct. 15. Pleasant View initially was licensed in the early 1970s for 184 beds, but that number has decreased through the years, landing at the current 130 beds in the early 2000s.
That 110-bed license aligns with Pleasant View's occupancy, which is hovering below 104 so far this year, Snow said. The facility will offer 90 private rooms and 10 double rooms.
Snow said the declining average number of patients at the Pleasant View has been brought on by a couple of factors. She said there are now more options to nursing homes, such as assisted living facilities that are appropriate for many older residents who don't require skilled nursing care. There's also a push to return patients to their own homes after a stint in short-term rehabilitation, a service Pleasant View also provides.
And, "the aging population is healthier" than it has been in the past, delaying and decreasing the need for a nursing home, Snow said.
Having fewer beds will save the facility money. The home pays a tax of $170 per bed per month, whether the bed is occupied or not, Snow said. Pleasant View has been paying $265,000 in this bed tax annually, but will save about $40,000 of that under the new license.
Another benefit to offering fewer beds is a better environment for residents.
"Less people means it's quieter," she said.
Terry Snow, Pleasant View administrator, reported to the Green County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the nursing home downgraded its license to 110 beds, effective Oct. 15. Pleasant View initially was licensed in the early 1970s for 184 beds, but that number has decreased through the years, landing at the current 130 beds in the early 2000s.
That 110-bed license aligns with Pleasant View's occupancy, which is hovering below 104 so far this year, Snow said. The facility will offer 90 private rooms and 10 double rooms.
Snow said the declining average number of patients at the Pleasant View has been brought on by a couple of factors. She said there are now more options to nursing homes, such as assisted living facilities that are appropriate for many older residents who don't require skilled nursing care. There's also a push to return patients to their own homes after a stint in short-term rehabilitation, a service Pleasant View also provides.
And, "the aging population is healthier" than it has been in the past, delaying and decreasing the need for a nursing home, Snow said.
Having fewer beds will save the facility money. The home pays a tax of $170 per bed per month, whether the bed is occupied or not, Snow said. Pleasant View has been paying $265,000 in this bed tax annually, but will save about $40,000 of that under the new license.
Another benefit to offering fewer beds is a better environment for residents.
"Less people means it's quieter," she said.