I want to thank Alyssa Jung for her thorough article on the Albany County Nursing Home quandary. From her interviews with County Executive McCoy and County Legislative Chair Morse, there seem to be large gaps in agreement on the facts. Mr. McCoy is concerned that we help all of our seniors stay in their homes with services the county provides. Mr. Morse says that a new nursing home could serve a larger segment of the senior population. Why would we want to put more seniors in the nursing home when people prefer to stay at home as long as possible? Mr. Morse states that a new nursing home will save money. Where are his facts to back that up? Apparently the state Department of Health also has some questions about how a new nursing home would be funded.
My hope is that the county legislature will really “think outside the box” as Mr. Morse suggests, and consider the options being proposed by Mr. McCoy, as well as other proposals from his Transition Team.Priority recommendations made by their Executive Committee include closing the Albany County Nursing Home to “better utilize county resources to provide access to quality home and community based services to the 45,000 seniors living in Albany County. County resources could then be invested in support programs including home delivered meals, home care, personal care and other community supports that allow seniors to remain in their homes and communities.” The complete report can be accessed from the county executive’s web site.
Ann Brandon
