Legislation proposed to offer relief to Ellis County nursing homes

ELLIS COUNTY – State Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Republican from Mineola recently filed legislation to establish a program that brings Texans’ federal tax dollars back home to improve the quality of nursing home care in the state.

Senate Bill 1050 provides what Hughes calls a “much-needed solution to a funding crisis that is threatening Texas nursing homes and the care they are able to provide.”

The good news is the state senator said the Bill will not add to the state budget.

“This legislation is consistent with our state’s strong, fiscally conservative approach to government,” Sen. Hughes said.

“SB 1050 will bring federal funding to Texas – money that is effectively being sent to other states – that will be used to solve staffing and quality issues. It is time that we truly make Texas seniors a priority with this legislation.”

There are nine long term care facilities in Ellis County that have for years been faced with underfunding from the state.

The idea, if the Bill passes, is the program will draw down federal funding available for Texas to improve nursing home care.

The program was compared to other programs used by 43 other states and the District of Columbia.

This Senate Bill 1050 also directs the additional funding received to be specifically committed to improving quality.

One of the immediate struggles with nursing home funding is the competition in the labor markets across the state causing a workforce crisis due to the underfunding. This translates into Texas suffering some of the highest annual staff turnover rates in the country at 97 percent for certified nursing assistants, 90 percent for registered nurses and 90 percent for licensed vocational nurses.

The SB 1050 will see that nursing homes receive additional funding for meeting nationally recognized performance standards and for making investments in staff wages and benefits. Funding will also be directed towards modernizing buildings to create comfortable homelike settings, and investing in new technology, all to improve overall resident quality of life.

“At $6 an hour, Texas pays nursing homes less to care for our family members and friends than a teenager makes mowing yards after school,” said Kevin Warren, president and CEO of the Texas Health Care Association, the largest organization of nursing homes in the state. “With our rate of turnover, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to consistently provide and maintain the level of care our aging Texans deserve.”

More than 12 percent of Ellis County’s population is over 65 and the number is growing. In fact, the number of Texans over 65 is expected to more than double by 2030, and by 2050, is projected to increase by more than 262 percent.

Warren points to recent events as evidence of the industry’s struggles. In 2018, Senior Care Centers – the state’s largest operator of nursing homes in Texas – filed for bankruptcy, while one of the largest nursing home operators in the country, departed from Texas last Summer, citing the state’s low reimbursement rate as a reason for its decision.

“This couldn’t happen at a better time to partner with the Federal Government to help support our most vulnerable population, “Texas State Rep. Carl Sherman from District 109 said. “With nursing homes closing all over the state of Texas I believe this will serve as a saving grace for our elderly family members.”