MONROE - Even if Green County were to close Pleasant View Nursing Home, it still would have to spend more than a quarter million dollars a year to house 10 residents at other facilities.
But that cost won't be as high as previously thought.
Of the 125 residents at the county's nursing home, 10 have special needs that bind the county by state law to provide care for them. The remaining 115 residents would be left to find housing on their own.
It was believed the county would have to send them to Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison at a daily cost to the county of about $850 per resident. Doing so would cost about $3.1 million annually, with the county having to cover the roughly $1.5 million that Medicaid or Medicare would not pay for.
However, Green County Human Services Director Greg Holcomb said Tuesday the 10 residents could be placed at other, lower-cost facilities.
That cost, according to estimates Holcomb provided, would be about $325,000.
"There are five of them who would need 24-hour skilled nursing care," Holcomb explained. "They need round-the-clock care. They could be sent to another nursing home."
Holcomb said the other five residents could be sent to a less restrictive facility, such as a group home. There are several group homes across the state, he said, including Monroe.
"We would try to keep them within 100 miles of Monroe," he said.
He cautioned that where a resident ends up has a lot to do with space availability. There is no guarantee a resident would end up close to Monroe, or even Green County. There's also no guarantee another home will be found quickly.
"It's easier said than done" to find homes for residents, Holcomb added.
It would cost about $3,450 per month to house a resident in a group home. With five residents currently, that would cost the county about $207,000.
The remaining five residents the county would be responsible for could be moved to other facilities, at a cost of about $116,800 a year. That's figured using the average cost per day to house a Pleasant View resident - $200, according to home Administrator Terry Nelson - minus the daily $136 per resident the county receives in Medicaid reimbursements. Holcomb said other nursing homes in the state would have comparable costs.
The total cost to the county to house the 10 residents at other locations would be about $323,800 a year. That amount is subject to change, depending on the number of residents the county would be responsible for at any given time.
County officials on Monday said closing the nursing home is a possibility if the Oct. 6 referendum fails. The ballot question asks voters to allow the county to exceed the tax levy rate by up to $890,000 for each of the next five years to fully fund Pleasant View.
Pleasant View is expected to operate at a deficit of about $1.2 million this year. Last year, the gap was about $900,000. Rising staffing expenses and the withholding of Medicaid funding by the state government are the primary reasons for the deficit. In the past, the county has used money from reserves to make up the difference, but now has only about $1.1 million left in reserves.
If voters reject the referendum, the county could make budget cuts to fund Pleasant View, or close or sell the facility.
Nelson said she is committed to find ways to reduce Pleasant View's deficit over the next couple of years. She hopes residents give her and the nursing home a chance to change its financial situation.
But that cost won't be as high as previously thought.
Of the 125 residents at the county's nursing home, 10 have special needs that bind the county by state law to provide care for them. The remaining 115 residents would be left to find housing on their own.
It was believed the county would have to send them to Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison at a daily cost to the county of about $850 per resident. Doing so would cost about $3.1 million annually, with the county having to cover the roughly $1.5 million that Medicaid or Medicare would not pay for.
However, Green County Human Services Director Greg Holcomb said Tuesday the 10 residents could be placed at other, lower-cost facilities.
That cost, according to estimates Holcomb provided, would be about $325,000.
"There are five of them who would need 24-hour skilled nursing care," Holcomb explained. "They need round-the-clock care. They could be sent to another nursing home."
Holcomb said the other five residents could be sent to a less restrictive facility, such as a group home. There are several group homes across the state, he said, including Monroe.
"We would try to keep them within 100 miles of Monroe," he said.
He cautioned that where a resident ends up has a lot to do with space availability. There is no guarantee a resident would end up close to Monroe, or even Green County. There's also no guarantee another home will be found quickly.
"It's easier said than done" to find homes for residents, Holcomb added.
It would cost about $3,450 per month to house a resident in a group home. With five residents currently, that would cost the county about $207,000.
The remaining five residents the county would be responsible for could be moved to other facilities, at a cost of about $116,800 a year. That's figured using the average cost per day to house a Pleasant View resident - $200, according to home Administrator Terry Nelson - minus the daily $136 per resident the county receives in Medicaid reimbursements. Holcomb said other nursing homes in the state would have comparable costs.
The total cost to the county to house the 10 residents at other locations would be about $323,800 a year. That amount is subject to change, depending on the number of residents the county would be responsible for at any given time.
County officials on Monday said closing the nursing home is a possibility if the Oct. 6 referendum fails. The ballot question asks voters to allow the county to exceed the tax levy rate by up to $890,000 for each of the next five years to fully fund Pleasant View.
Pleasant View is expected to operate at a deficit of about $1.2 million this year. Last year, the gap was about $900,000. Rising staffing expenses and the withholding of Medicaid funding by the state government are the primary reasons for the deficit. In the past, the county has used money from reserves to make up the difference, but now has only about $1.1 million left in reserves.
If voters reject the referendum, the county could make budget cuts to fund Pleasant View, or close or sell the facility.
Nelson said she is committed to find ways to reduce Pleasant View's deficit over the next couple of years. She hopes residents give her and the nursing home a chance to change its financial situation.