ceo of atlanta’s sadie g. mays health and … nursing homes 2012.pdfmatani’s first thought was...

Community Involvement:Charles Robinson, president andCEO of Atlanta’s Sadie G. MaysHealth and Rehabilitation Center

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www.georgiatrend.com I JANUARY 2012 I 57

Waits are shorter and care is improving, but facilities worry about cuts to Medicaid. Plus, a listing of the state’s five-star homes

B Y M A R Y A N N E D U N K I N

When the cost of round-the-clock homecare had depleted most of her elderlyfather’s life savings, Rachel Harris knew she had to look for an alternative to in-home care. Her search ultimately led her to Fairburn Health Care Center, a one-

story facility south of Atlanta with an available bed that would be covered by Medicaidwhen her father’s funds ran out.

“As long as I can remember, he said hewould never go live in ‘one of those places,’”says Harris, who says she’s still getting used tothe fact that her 90-year-old father won’t bereturning to his home. At the same time, shefeels relieved knowing that her father is safeand well cared for. “The staff takes good care ofhim,” says Harris. “When I go to visit, he isalways dressed and clean shaven. They makesure he always gets to the dining room for hismeals. If he doesn’t want to go, they bring thefood to his room.”

Vivian Matani had spent seven years caringfor the elderly aunt who had raised her whenfinances forced her to return to work and make

the difficult choice to find other care for her80-year-old relative.

Having grown up in the city of Atlanta,Matani’s first thought was the Sadie G. MaysHealth and Rehabilitation Center, establishedin 1947 as the first nursing home to serveAtlanta’s African-American community. Aftertwo visits to Sadie G. Mays, she knew it wasthe right place for her aunt, who suffers fromdementia. Three months later, Matani saysshe’s not only happy with the care her auntreceives, she’s overwhelmed by it. “You hear so many bad things about nursing

homes,” says Matani. “I say stop listening toother people and check them out for yourself.”

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58 I JANUARY 2012 I GeorgiaTrend

Difficult Decision Each year, some 58,000 Georgians are admitted to skilled

nursing facilities or nursing homes, often by an adult child orother family member. For many, like Harris and Matani, thedecision to admit a loved one can be a tough one. “It’s difficult to admit that a family member can no longer

take care of her- or himself, particularly when that familymember once took care of you,” says Alexis Abramson,Ph.D., a gerontology expert and author of The Caregiver’sSurvival Handbook: How to Care for Your Aging Parent WithoutLosing Yourself (Perigee, 2011). Adding to the difficulty are thenegative feelings many people have about nursing homes,mostly based on misconceptions and outdated information,she says.

“The perception of nursing homes is sort of this antiquat-ed storage place for old people, but that’s just not what the21st century nursing home is,” says Jon Howell, presidentand CEO of the Georgia Health Care Association, a not-for-profit organization representing long-term and post-acutecare providers located throughout the state of Georgia. ManyGeorgians, like Matani, who look for care are pleasantly sur-prised with what they find.

More than 10 percent of Georgia’s nursing homesreceived a five-star rating – the highest possible rating – fromthe federal government’s Centers for Medicare andMedicaid Services based on health inspections, staffing andquality measures. (Editor’s Note: Rankings referenced in thisstory were based on Medicare ratings published in October 2011.)

In a recent national survey,Georgia ranked second only toOklahoma for nursing homesatisfaction among residentsand employees – 10 percent ofnursing homes receiving the2010-2011 Excellence in ActionAwards from the national inde-pendent research firm My In-nerView were from Georgia.

If you haven’t checked into

• Georgia nursing homes employ 58,000 people. • Skilled nursing facilities in Georgia have a $3.2-billion impact on the state economy.• Georgia nursing homes provide care to more than 35,000 patients each day.• Medicaid reimburses Georgia nursing homes an average of $143 per day per patient –

about the cost of a night’s stay in a motel.

Nursing Home Facts


��

nursing homes lately the followingchanges may surprise you.

Shorter stays: While nursing homesused to be where people went to spendtheir final years, nursing homes areincreasingly serving patients’ short-

term rehabilitation needs. “Rehab is a big part of nursing

homes today,” says Howell. At manyGeorgia nursing homes, up to a quarterof residents are admitted followinghospitalization for an acute problem


such as a stroke or hip fracture and,after rehabilitation, are able to returnhome and live independently.

Shorter waits: Getting a familymember into a nursing home oncemeant adding his or her name to a longlist and waiting. But shorter stays bysome residents mean shorter waits forall. “I think there are waiting lists incertain areas of the state, but in terms ofstatewide, occupancy rates are goingdown slightly,” says Howell.

In addition to the increase in short-term rehabilitative care, Abramsoncites a number of other reasons forshorter wait times and increases inavailable beds, including an increase inthe number of nursing homes in prepa-ration for the aging baby boomers, theability of seniors to age in place longerdue to improvements in treatments forchronic diseases, and the increasedavailability of services in the communi-ty. The economy plays a role, too. Whenpeople are without jobs, they are morelikely to care for loved ones at homeand less able to pay for skilled nursingcare.

More and improved care: Twenty-first century nursing homes providemany of the services and medical pro-cedures that were done in 20th centuryhospitals, says Howell. Physical thera-py, occupational therapy and speechtherapy are now being delivered innursing homes.

The demands of residents and theirfamilies have contributed to increasedservices and quality, says Patrick Fellers,administrator and CEO at SignatureHealthCare of Marietta – one of some 75facilities managed by Signature Health-Care, the Louisville, Ky.–based health-care company. “We are not dealing withGreat Depression-era seniors who wereappreciative of any type of service theygot. We are dealing with seniors thathave a sense of entitlement, and theirexpectations are a lot higher.”

More variety: Most skilled nursingfacilities are located in freestandingbuildings in cities, small towns, suburbsand rural areas; others are located with-in upscale senior communities, in somecases providing care exclusively to resi-dents of the community. Solid Improvements: Patrick Fellers, administrator and CEO of Signature HealthCare of Marietta

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Individual centers can vary widely,says Abramson, who helps match fami-lies with nursing homes. “Two nursinghomes in the same price range can beentirely different,” she says. “One canbe slick and contemporary while theother is more laid back and homey.Some focus on arts and cultural eventsfor residents, while some focus more onsports and games and crafts.”

Paying for Care Although some nursing homes

accept only private-pay patients, thegreatest source of revenue for nursinghomes as a whole is Medicare for short-term rehabilitation and Medicaid forlong-term care. In 2010, Medicare cov-ered the cost of 12 percent of thepatients receiving care in skilled nurs-ing facilities and Medicaid covered 73percent.

Recent cuts to these programsthreaten to make the job of providinglong-term care even more difficult, saysHowell. And future cuts, which arealmost a certainty, will have a negativeimpact on facility staffing efforts andput high-quality care for older Geor-gians at risk, he says.

Beginning October 1, nursing homesin Georgia saw a 10.8 percent ($68 mil-lion) reduction to Medicare fundingthrough a Centers for Medicare andMedicaid Services rule on the skillednursing facilities (SNF) prospectivepayment system.

In November, the Congressionalsupercommittee, charged with findinga way to reduce federal spending by$1.5 trillion over 10 years, failed toreach an agreement, which would havelikely included severe cuts to Medicaid.

Now that the 12-member panel failed,automatic across-the-board spendingcuts could be triggered upwards of $1.2trillion over 10 years, says Howell. Themandatory cuts could include a two per-cent reduction in payments to Medicareproviders beginning in 2013. Thoughharsh – especially on top of Medicarecuts made in October – Howell believesthe fallback plan is something “in therealm of possibility” for providers. “Thatwould at least give providers some timeto get ready for the reduction,” he says.


056_GT_Jan_NursingHomes_GT.April 12/16/11 12:30 PM 1


cent are occupied and the majority of those are paid for byMedicaid, says Charles Robinson, president and CEO.

In addition to offering skilled nursing care and short-termrehabilitative services, Sadie G. Mays offers residents theopportunity to participate in a variety of activities such asgrowing their own vegetable gardens in the courtyard,attending onsite sing-alongs or religious services and goingshopping or to Braves games.

The center also hosts activities for the community “so peo-ple can know who we are and what business we are in,” says

Despite the financial challenges facing nursing homes,Howell says he is “very bullish” on the future of long-termcare. “The long-term care community in Georgia faces many

challenges in the years ahead,” he says. “However, there isgood news: They are here for the people of Georgia and aredelivering quality care.”

Four Five-Star FacilitiesNursing homes are not all alike. Georgia Trend takes a look

at four quite different, but all outstanding, five-star nursinghomes.

Gem in the city. Founded as Happy Haven and sincerenamed for the late Sadie Gray Mays, advocate for Atlanta’ssick and homeless and wife of the longtime MorehouseCollege president Benjamin Mays, the Sadie G. Mays Healthand Rehabilitation Center has been providing care in theheart of Atlanta for more than six decades.

Its commitment to care has not gone unnoticed. In additionto receiving the five-star rating from Medicare, the center wasranked as one of the best nursing homes in the U.S – and thebest in Atlanta – by U.S News & World Report for 2011.

At Sadie G. Mays, employees outnumber residents. Atlast count, the center had the equivalent of 220 full-timeemployees. Of the center’s 206 beds, approximately 90 per-

Resort Atmosphere: The Oaks Health Center at The Marshes ofSkidaway Island near Savannah

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Island, located within a 58-acre contin-uing care retirement community nearSavannah, offers around-the-clocknursing care, wound care and painmanagement as well as rehabilitationservices and assisted living.

Managed by Life Care Services,which operates more than 80 senior liv-ing communities throughout the U.S.,The Marshes of Skidaway Island fea-tures spacious cottages, duplexes andapartments for seniors who live inde-pendently. While community residents


Robinson. These include a Veteran’sDay program and four cookouts annu-ally for the residents, employees, volun-teers and their families. “We are in the business of serving,”

says Robinson. “We are always tryingto please our residents so they can livewhile they are here regardless of theircondition. We want them to continue tobe active with activities both inside andoutside these walls.”

Resort charm. The Oaks HealthCenter at The Marshes of Skidaway

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2011SMALL BUSINESS

GUIDES

Smaller Facility: Kim Sharp, director of community relations for The Oaks Health Center

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Consider priorities. While Medicare ratings are a startingpoint, they are just that – a starting point, says John Howell,president and CEO of the Georgia Health Care Association.For Rachel Harris, a three-star center turned out to be a goodfit for her father, and it was conveniently located betweenher job in Buckhead and home in Newnan.

Consider the culture. Different nursing homes have differ-ent personalities. It’s important that the personality of thehome you choose meshes with your family member’s. Yourloved one will be happier with like-minded people.

Stop in for a visit. There are some things you know only bybeing there. Observe the cleanliness of the facility and theway the staff interacts with residents. “Go more than once.Watch. Observe,” advises Vivian Matani. “Then trust yourheart.” If possible, take your loved one with you and involvehim in the decision, says Abramson.– Mary Anne Dunkin

You’ve exhausted community services. You’re ex-hausted from giving care yourself. When you’re consideringa nursing home, experts offer this advice.

Consider the cost. Costs of nursing homes can vary widely,and some have additional charges for special meals, pillows,laundry and other services. Make sure you know what’sincluded in the price you are quoted, advises AlexisAbramson, a gerontology expert. If your loved one’s funds arelimited, look for a nursing home that will accept Medicaid ifmoney runs out. If your family member owns a home or hasother assets, be sure to consult an attorney about Medicaidlaw. Be aware that laws are constantly changing.

Do your research. Start with the web, where you can findinformation including Medicare and satisfaction ratingsand, in some cases, even virtual tours of the facility. Get rec-ommendations from trusted family members, friends andhealth professionals.

Choosing A Nursing Home


are assured a spot at the Oaks HealthCenter if they need it, the center acceptsresidents from outside the communityas space – and the resident’s finances –permit. Aside from its short-term reha-bilitation services, which are covered byMedicare, the Oaks is a private-payfacility, says Kim Sharp, director of com-munity relations for the Oaks HealthCenter. Residents must pay a one-timedeposit and first month’s rent whenthey enter the facility.

People choose the Oaks because it’sa small facility that offers resident-focused care, says Sharp. In all threelevels – assisted living, rehabilitationand long-term nursing care – the centerhas just 43 beds. “I know all of my residents, their

families, their children, their grandchil-dren and great-grandchildren,” Sharpsays. “It is very private, very small. Ithink that is why people like it.”

A quick turnaround. Shortly afterSignature HealthCare purchased Shore-ham of Marietta in 2007, the Centers forMedicare & Medicaid Services listed itamong the 54 worst nursing homes inthe United States. With 18 deficiencies– two of which reflected an immediatethreat to resident health or safety – onits inspection report, the facility was atrisk of being shut down. Signatureknew it had to make radical changes –and fast.

Those changes included renovationsto the building, additional staff and acommitment to improving patient careand outcome measures.

By the second half of 2010, the facili-ty had gone from a one-star Medicarerating to a five-star. The 154-bed Sig-nature HealthCare of Marietta has sincebeen filled almost to capacity, saysSignature’s Fellers.

While most of the changes – includ-ing the addition of two full-time nursepractitioners, a full-time chaplain and22 full-time therapists – have happenedwithin the center, changing the public’sperception of the nursing home hasbeen a crucial part of its transformationtoo, says Fellers.

A strong web presence has helped.So have a media campaign and virtualtour DVD, particularly for out-of-state




family members seeking care for a loved one in Marietta,says Fellers. “A lot of the time when they come for tours, they say

‘Patrick, you don’t even have to do the tour, because every-thing we would want to see and know you have already haveonline. We really just want to walk through the building andsee if everything you put on there is accurate,’” says Fellers.“It has really worked.”

Home-style care. Located in the northwest corner of thestate, 30 minutes from Chattanooga and just a mile from theAlabama state line, Dade Health and Rehabilitation pridesitself on its hometown feel and family atmosphere. “Youwalk in the building and [there’s a] sense of family right offthe get go,” says Melissa Cromer, administrator.

Opened in the 1960s, the 71-bed facility is managed byRome-based Reliable Healthcare, which also manages sixother nursing homes, mostly in smaller communities,including Cleveland, Rome and Cedartown.

While nursing homes in general tend to have highemployee turnover, many of Dade’s 70 employees, includingDirector of Nursing Dana Culpepper, have been with thecenter long enough to see the second generation of residentscome. “I am taking care of children of parents I took care of,”says Culpepper. “A lot of people who bring a parent willbring other relatives. We get to know families.”

Family involvement is important at Dade, says Cromer.“When a person doesn’t have family, you become their fam-ily. It’s a good feeling to know you have done your best for aperson who wouldn’t have had anyone else.”

Family Style: Melissa Cromer, administrator of Dade Health andRehabilitation

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A.G. RHODES HEALTH AND REHAB, INC. - COBB900 WYLIE ROAD MARIETTA 30067770.427.8727

AVALON HEALTH AND REHABILITATION120 SPRING STREETNEWNAN 30263770.253.1475

BRIGHTMOOR HEALTH CARE, INC.3235 NEWMAN ROADGRIFFIN 30224770.228.8599

CANDLER HOSPITAL SUBACUTE UNIT5353 REYNOLDS STREETSAVANNAH 31405912.819.6496


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CARROLLTON NURSING & REHAB CENTER2327 NORTH HIGHWAY 27CARROLLTON 30117770.834.4404

CHURCH HOME FOR THE AGED2470 HIGHWAY 41 N.PERRY 31069478.987.1239

THE D. SCOTT HUDGENS CENTER FOR SKILLED NURSING3500 ANNANDALE LANESUWANEE 30024770.932.3472

DADE HEALTH AND REHABILITATION1234 HIGHWAY 301 S.TRENTON 30752706.657.4171

EFFINGHAM COUNTY EXTENDED CARE FACILITY459 HIGHWAY 119 S. SPRINGFIELD 31329912.754.6451

FIFTH AVENUE HEALTH CARE CENTER505 NORTH FIFTH AVENUEROME 30165706.291.0521

FRIENDSHIP HEALTH AND REHAB161 FRIENDSHIP ROADCLEVELAND 30528706.865.3131

GEORGIA REGIONAL HOSPITAL LTC UNIT3073 PANTHERSVILLE ROAD, SNF BLDG. #17DECATUR 30034404.212.4780

(OCTOBER 2011 MEDICARE FIVESTAR RATINGS)

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HERITAGE HEALTHCARE OF TOOMSBORO210 MAIN STREETTOOMSBORO 31090478.933.5395

HERITAGE HEALTHCARE OF VALDOSTA2501 NORTH ASHLEY STREETVALDOSTA 31602229.244.7368

MANORCARE REHABILITATION CENTER - MARIETTA4360 JOHNSON FERRY PLACEMARIETTA 30068770.971.5870

THE OAKS AT LIMESTONE2560 FLINTRIDGE ROADGAINESVILLE 30501770.536.3391

OAKS HEALTH CENTER AT THE MARSHES OF SKIDAWAY ISLAND95 SKIDAWAY ISLAND PARK ROADSAVANNAH 31411912.598.5030

THE OAKS OF CARROLLTON921 OLD NEWNAN ROADCARROLLTON 30117770.834.3501

OCONEE HEALTH AND REHABILITATION107 RIDGEVIEW DRIVEOCONEE 31067478.552.7381

OCONEE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER SKILLED NURSING UNIT821 NORTH COBB STREETMILLEDGEVILLE 31061478.454.3649

PINEHILL NURSING CENTER, INC.712 PATTERSON STREETBYROMVILLE 31007478.433.5711

PRESBYTERIAN VILLAGE2000 EASTWEST CONNECTORAUSTELL 30106770.819.7000

REGENCY PARK HEALTH AND REHABILITATION1212 BROADRICK DRIVEDALTON 30720706.270.8008

RELIABLE HEALTH & REHAB AT LAKEWOOD1980 ARROW STREET, S.W.ATLANTA 30310404.755.4080


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HERITAGE HEALTHCARE AT CRESTWOOD415 PENDLETON PLACEVALDOSTA 31602229.242.6868

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SIGNATURE HEALTHCARE OF MARIETTA811 KENNESAW AVENUEMARIETTA 30060770.422.2451


ceo of atlanta’s sadie g. mays health and … nursing homes 2012.pdfmatani’s first thought was...

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