Who will care for Nebraska seniors?

Fifteen Nebraska counties have no nursing home or assisted living facility.

Nebraskans’ access to care in these settings is becoming increasingly limited due to a lack of adequate funding for services provided, a depleted workforce, and an increase in the cost of goods and services needed to operate.

Twelve Nebraska nursing homes have closed over the past three years, citing staffing challenges and underfunding.

  • TECUMSEH – Belle Terrace (67 beds)
  • PENDER – Legacy Garden Rehab (42 beds)
  • ARAPAHOE – Good Samaritan Society (30 beds)
  • GRANT – Golden Hours (50 beds)
  • RAVENNA – Good Samaritan Society (61 beds)
  • GREELEY – Greeley Care Home (26 beds)
  • VALENTINE – Good Samaritan Society (52 beds)
  • LEXINGTON – Plum Creek Care Center (66 beds)
  • HOOPER – Hooper Care Center (48 beds)
  • TRENTON – El Dorado Nursing Home (40 beds)
  • MULLEN – Pioneer Manor (30 beds)
  • PONCA – Elms Health Care Center (44 beds)

Nebraska's Deserts of Nursing Home Care

Impacts of Nursing Home Closures

These care settings are hubs of activity and major economic drivers for their town. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities support more than $3 billion of Nebraska’s economic activity.

When a nursing home closes, it means family and friends must travel greater distances to visit their loved ones.

A report published in the July 2022 Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (JAMDA) examined six factors associated with the likelihood of visitation and found travel time has a “substantively and statistically significant negative association with visit probability for all age groups.”

Less frequent visitation by families and friends has a negative impact on residents’ physical health and emotional well-being.

An earlier report published in the February 2021 JAMDA reviewed published research and identified a positive association between social connection and residents’ health and well-being.

Funding Long-Term Care

Nebraska’s expenditure for nursing home care is only 12% of the total annual Medicaid budget.

As Nebraska Legislature builds a state budget plan, we need to make our voices heard. 

Funding our frontlines is crucial to keeping the most at-risk Nebraskans safe and healthy. Join us in urging our elected officials to stand up for nursing facilities and assisted living communities and the Nebraskans in their care.

Resources

Nebraska Health Care Association:

American Health Care Association/National Assisted Living Center:

Legislation:

  • LB941 - State intent regarding appropriations for Medicaid assisted-living facility rates
  • LB942 - State intent regarding appropriations for Medicaid nursing facility rates

 

Take Action!

To provide quality care, nursing facilities and assisted living communities require a strong, well-funded workforce. Please share why this is important by sending a personal message to your state senator.

 

Legislative Live Streams

Join NHCA for monthly Legislative Live streams on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/nnfanala. Members, vendors, general public, and senators are all invited to attend!

Nebraska's "Care Deserts" Press Conference

February 8, 2024 | Live from the Capitol

NHCA held a press conference to communicate the importance of all Nebraskans having access to care in a nursing home or assisted living facility, when and where they need it (right care, right time, right place); illustrate geographic “care deserts” in Nebraska; the challenges the situation brings to quality of life for nursing home and assisted living facility residents, residents’ family members, and staff; and how the long-term care profession is addressing workforce challenges.

What Nebraska’s Legislators Need to Know About Long-Term Care

January 19, 2024 | Legislative Live

NHCA members discussed why prioritizing long-term care is the most important issue in the 2024 Nebraska legislative session. Topics included workforce and other challenges in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Sponsored by Health Care Information Systems and Medi-Bill Systems