House of the Good Shepherd -Wow....
They are making residents involuntarily move out by June 1st. It appears only the Medicaid patients. 41 residents must go elsewhere and 11 employees will lose their jobs. Real nice....
https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/western-newjersey/dozens-of-senior-citizens-receive-involuntary-discharge-notices-as-living-facility-in-warren-county-says/article_a101ba6a-b468-11ec-8b23-db3ebf1cbdcd.html
Greg 
ianimal 
JeffersonRepub It's sad and seems wrong. It's a nice facility, and I'm sure that good care is hard to find. I hope the families have their elected reps plus social workers working to resolve this.
maja2 This truly makes me sick to my stomach! These poor people and their families. Having to start this process with my mom, I'm finding that the resources available, are small if next to none. This is terrible!!
IrishGirlSo, after this person spent $400,00 for 5 1/2 years in this place, she is being shown the door. This is absolutely disgusting. The remaining 80 residents must be thrilled to learn that when their money runs out - Bye! Claiming the pandemic was a reason, didn’t they get any assistance from feds? Or was the assistance misdirected? This makes me very angry.
justwondering An absolute disgrace; $$$$ motivated. THEY should have found places for everybody THEY were throwing out like so much much garbage IMHO.
Mrs. Pipes I have family members impacted by this decision. It’s a terrible decision and one that has moved me and many others to show no support for HOTGS.
Antiwork "An absolute disgrace; $$$$ motivated."
A system known as capitalism, one that most Americans embrace.
dodgebaal Unfortunately, capitalism doesn't always work for everyone.
Care for the aged is a big hole in our social safety net. You can work for decades and save for retirement and be well positioned but god forbid you get sick or need assistance, then you will go broke. Then you're on the street.
It's shameful isn't it? Happens every day...
friendly mcface I work for a local facility.
You’re kidding yourself if you think for a SECOND that they care about you.
They don’t. At all.
It’s a business, it’s all about the money.
TheyDontCare To the families struggling to mitigate this situation, a couple thoughts:
Contact an elder rights attorney, perhaps a class action lawsuit - at the very least a court order to delay moving date and give people time to make arrangements.
Did they defraud the residents? Did they plan to eliminate the Medicaid/nursing aspect of the facility in advance? What was their intent?
Medicaid has programs that will pay family members to be in home caregivers for family members. Something to explore.
Very fragile and/or ill residents may be eligible for hospice care in home. The NJ Ombudsman office should also assist with referrals and advocacy.
MAN Went thru the same thing at another facility where we paid about 8000 per month for three years and then had to move my husbands sister. Hired a company to help us get her Medicade. Was excruciating painful process. She was finally approved a few days after she died.
Dog cookie lady Dog Cookie Lady - I'm doing some research on this matter for grad school. If you don't mind sharing - what company did you use to help get Medicaid? Thanks!
Your other options is if possible bring mom or dad home and having in home care.
I'm curious about what happens/happened with the Shepherd's Fund money that was donated over these many years. Their "mission statement" was that it was the fund that would allow residents to remain in their apartment even if their money ran out. Our family donated to that fund for a number of years because of the mission statement it had. Was it insolvent? If not, where does the money go that was donated in good faith?
summerrain1 The residents that are being forced to leave were no longer in their own apartments. They were in the high need nursing unit that is closing.
I wasn't aware that the Shepherd's Fund was just for those in apartments. I looked on the HOTGS website, and this was part of a podcast:
"The Shepherd’s Fund, historically, has been a very important piece. I think you both know, and others may know that the development office actually was inactive for a few years. So I’m new to this in terms of creating this culture of philanthropy, that there wasn’t a person in this role previously. But the Shepherds Fund ensures that any residents whose resources deplete over time, regardless of why, we have funds that enable them to continue to live here. So we would never ask someone to leave because they no longer can pay their rent."
It says ANY residents, not just those who live in apartments. In fact, there were several residents who lived for years in the skilled nursing wing.
And I think it's disgraceful that they would take people who have lived at HOTGS for many years, and now, expect them to adjust to a new setting, new people, new routines, new health care providers. Those changes can seriously affect their cognitive and emotional faculties. This is a shame and shouldn't happen.
It is heartbreaking and traumatic as you say summerrain1, but they are closing the nursing unit, and so they will no longer offer that level of care. It is not merely a matter of resident's inability to pay. Some were paying out of pocket for care.
I'm sure the American Government will help them. America is a great country with a great support system. It's the best in the world.
And American people are generous. I'm sure the community will do it's best to help out the elderly neighbors with generous donations should the American Government not step up to the plate, which never happens.
4catmom I'm confused. Strangers and or the pubic at large should fund the folks that are being thrown out? How would that even be quantified? While it is a disgrace that the facility is doing it this way instead of simply scaling back each time a resident leaves or expires, I'm not sure it's the government or private citizens financial responsibility to rehome these folks. Yes, people are generous and the government currently is in the business of handouts, but I just don't see it as a solution. Besides this is happening all over at many facilities according to the article. I don't have the solution I just know this whole situation is outrageous and very unfortunate for all involved
I guess America could have used some of the money it gives to foreign countries on it's own people, but it chooses not to. Billions in aid sent to foreign countries could have went to actual Americans in need. Instead it went to foreigners. Oh well, out on the street for them.
Hopefully some community people will donate and help them if the American Government doesn't. Seems it would rather give money away to others than taking care of it's own. Remember that when you fly your flag.
"I guess America could have used some of the money it gives to foreign countries on it's own people, but it chooses not to. Billions in aid sent to foreign countries could have went to actual Americans in need. Instead it went to foreigners"
I could not agree more. Americans first should always be the case. It seems that is taboo these days.
> " And American people are generous."
We are.
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-most-charitable-nations.html
" And American people are generous."
"We are."
That's good to know. I'm sure those residents feel the same way. Perhaps you could visit them and show them the website you posted. It might cheer them up.
And Greg, I 100% Agree with you. Take care of your own first. Should never be taboo.
The House of the Good Shepherd is a nonprofit. They do not want private donations to maintain the nursing facility. They want to close it and offer only independent and assisted living accommodations.
Greg you say "I'm not sure it's the government or private citizen's financial responsibility to rehome these folks." Who should be responsible? Many of these people paid out of pocket for years to live there, with the promise they would never be turned out if they ran out of money. Do you have a plan in place for your elder years?
These folks were/are getting government assistance in the form of Medicare or Medicaid. The facility screwed them by not accepting that any longer. They can go to another facility that accepts that program. It may be difficult to find close by and very upsetting for the resident I'm sure. A publicly funded transition via donations is what I believe Dodgebaal suggested is what I feel is not appropriate or needed.
This might be part of the issue
N.J. ordered nursing homes to give aides a raise, and most did. The others will face penalties.
https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2022/04/nj-ordered-nursing-homes-to-give-aides-a-raise-and-most-did-the-others-will-face-penalties.html
Bug3 thank you for this information.
The Medicaid boost was temporary, and the mandated wage increase is only three dollars more an hour. Still starvation wages.
Sources at HOTGS say this used to be a career, but now people can make more at McDonalds.
Or they could have made it attractive for the staff and new hires to work there. Instead they decided to cut costs where it counts the most. Don't blame the workers for a corporate decision.
Yesimpc Nobody blamed the workers
The corporation is a non profit that is relying on Medicare...The government cut medicare and raised the employees salary
They couldn't charge patients more money.and they could not afford to pay employees more..so they shut down
So everybody loses
Just because it says it's a non profit does not mean they were not making one. That I cannot speak of as I don't know their financials. It was you bug who came to the conclusion that the reason they shut down was because they couldn't afford the 3 dollar raise. Has this been proven yet? I'd like to know. It seems like mismanagement all the way down for one they new as soon as that was passed they would have to find alternatives. Would be interesting to see what they did before saying we can't afford it. Did they get covid grants and money? If I had a loved one there I'd want to know all the answers.
Bug3 you seem to have some misinformation. Medicaid, not Medicare is the department that received additional funding. HOTGS does not rely on their funding, it supported people in the nursing unit who could not afford the full cost of care any longer.
Also, it is an assumption to say they cannot afford to hire care. The CNA's and CHHA's do the most essential work in both assisted and nursing units. Without them there is no facility. (Excluding independent living.)
The important question to be answered is what happens if more caregivers leave the profession? Also, is it acceptable that these corporations (profit or nonprofit) are allowed to make promises to people when they are independent and financially secure, and then remove them from what has become their home, and relocate them to a facility that may or may not provide quality care, or may even be out of state, subjecting them to that state's regulations, and distancing from family without their consent?
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