County delays decision on Maple Lawn financial aid
Branch County commissioners delayed a decision until Aug. 15 regarding financial help for the county-owned Maple Lawn nursing and rehabilitation facility.
Commissioners will meet at 4 p.m. on that date to give clerk Terry Kubasiak a decision on a 0.99-mill vote for the Nov. 8 ballot. She must know by 4 p.m. Aug. 16 to get the measure on the ballot.
Commissioners asked for additional information. Chairman Tim Stoll, administrator of the non-for-profit Thurston Woods nursing home in Sturgis, requested the previous three months of detailed financial records and the same months from 2019, prior to the pandemic.
Commissioner Tom Matthew, county liaison with Maple Lawn, requested details about "payroll and the perks" of administrative staff. County administrator Bud Norman collected other information from the operation, but told the board he had not put it into presentation form. The critical question is immediate financial aid for the county home. Administrator Jayne Sabaitis asked for an advance or loan from county funds to meet a critical nearly $1 million cash shortage.
The pandemic delayed reconciliation of Medicaid payments made to Maple Lawn for 2019, 2020 and 2021. It based payments on prior years' finances when the home operated near 114-bed capacity.
After the state did its reconciliation based on actual operation, Maple Lawn owed $874,976. State officials approved a payback plan withholding money from monthly payments in three equal amounts for July, August and September. Each is $291,659.
Before the pandemic, Maple Lawn would run consistently above 95% occupancy rate. Today they are at 75% due to many factors.
Sabaitis told commissioners the census is down for numerous reasons:
The bad wrap that nursing homes have faced during the pandemic.
The loss of employees due to vaccine requirements.
The halt of Certified Nursing Assistant classes at community colleges.
Revenues are down 20% this year over the same period in 2021.
Maple Lawn incurred higher costs from inflation as supplies, equipment and food expense increased. The facility increased wages and gave incentives to retain employees.
The 32-year-old facility has issues with two primary air handlers and a domestic water heater. Estimate for repair is $350,000.
The main hope for the facility is an application for the federal employee retention fund Credit. Accountants estimate that would bring in $3.2 million.
Norman said Maple Lawn would not learn if they were approved for the federal COVID-19 relief for another four to six weeks. It would take another six to 12 months to receive money if eligible.
Matthew suggested a freeze in all administrative wage increases at Maple Lawn. He also wants to see an oversight board of professionals to review the facility's operations.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: County delays until Monday decision on Maple Lawn financial aid
