Lynn senior facility funds at risk

LYNN – On any given day, about 70 Lynn senior citizens with varying medical needs spend about six hours at Briarcliff Lodge, the largest adult day health facility in the city.Some receive medication, others a shower, love and attention. Most simply come for the socialization or to give their home caregivers a needed break. At 4 p.m., they are driven home by the center’s transportation staff or picked up by relatives.Not all are lucid. Those suffering from dementia are cared for on a different floor at Briarcliff Lodge, where the staff-to-guest ratio is bolstered and the medical needs greater. They, too, return home in late afternoon.Darcey Adams, president of the Massachusetts Adult Day Services Association (MADSA), said adult day health programs are less expensive than nursing homes and, importantly, allow the person to socialize during the day but continue to live at home.According to Adams, it costs an average $56 to provide six hours of adult day health services, while a home health aide can cost $25 an hour with a two-hour minimum. “For the money you get six hours of care instead of two,” she said. “Adult day health programs are a real bargain.”Adams, who on Friday addressed a crowd of clients, staff, healthcare workers and state legislative representatives at Briarcliff Lodge, warned that funding for such programs is in jeopardy.Had cost-cutting legislation proposed by former Gov. Mitt Romney passed, most dementia patients would be lopped in with the general senior citizen population. As a result, all would be reimbursed at the same basic rate. Dementia patients currently are reimbursed at a slightly higher rate.”The new model would reimburse the program $27 per day per person,” said Adams, explaining that it would not cover the cost. “Ninety-six percent of dementia patients here would be downgraded to basic adult day care. Statewide, there are 10,000 people receiving adult day health services, and 50 percent of them have some form of memory loss.”Romney in 2005 also favored giving the state sole authority over adult day health service transportation programs. “That just would not have worked. We need to be flexible,” said Adams, emphasizing that each guest has different needs, including when they will be ready for pickup in the morning at what time they can return home.That schedule often depends on the home caregiver, she said.Last fall, adult day health programs in Massachusetts faced a $6 million cut. Two bills have been filed in the state Senate to ensure the funding stays in place and that legislators are notified should any changes be made within the Executive Office of Elder Affairs.Sen. Harriett Chandler filed bills 735 and 2353, which together help maintain appropriate reimbursement for services and require notification of any changes in the healthcare delivery system.”Right now, there is a shortage of adult day health programs,” said Adams. “The Baby Boomer generation is increasing the need, so that 78 additional programs will soon be required.”Adams said facilities like BriarCliff Lodge are not just daycare centers for people of golden age. “We teach chronic care management. We treat wounds, provide rehabilitation, call doctors, give assessments. Our nurses are dedicated and on average they make $15,000 less than a nurse at a nursing home,” she said.Rep. Steve Walsh joined Adams in stressing the need to get out the word about what services adult day health facilities like Briarcliff Lodge actually provide. “We understand what it means to get folks out during the day and keep them in their homes at night,” he said. “Sometimes our best programs have the hardest time getting funding. That’s why we have to talk about the good work we do here and other places. We don’t boast enough. We all have to be lobbyists.”Paul Crowley, executive director of Greater Lynn Senior Services, said Briarcliff Lodge “is not only good for the elderly, it’s a respite for the caregiver. The state funding we receive helps give that care