Nursing homes rake in the money/but provide less care!

Here is a letter that I received from an adult family home provider in Washington State...I sure wish there were more I could do to help!

Renee,

I came across your article describing AFH's and felt that you painted the correct picture of our industry. I and the other 200 or so Providers here in Eastern WA wish our legislators in Olympia had the same vision of what we do and would be willing to fund us. I'm afraid most AFH's will shut down or stop taking state pay clients all together in the next 2 years because of funding. I have attached a flier for you to look at and ask for your support in contacting the 3 people in long term care funding who will decide if we stay or go.

I received my first AFH license in 1988 as an undergraduate at Gonzaga University and the minimum rate was around $28, today it is at $48. Nursing homes today receive between $160-260 a day with resident to staff ratios of 15:1. I don't have to tell you that between our low ratios of 3.3:1 and the high level of commitment that Providers have in operating a caring and loving home, AFH's are trully a sanctuary for those residents we serve.

With decisions being made in the next few weeks, the time is short for Providers to ask for help. 2 decades of nonfunding from Olympia have left Providers stretched to the breaking point. I have personally spoken to 94 Providers in the last 2 weeks and we are all in the same unfortunate situation.

If you and anyone you know can lend a voice to our cause, all 2200 AFH's would be grateful.

Mark Strahl
AFH Provider
Spokane