Voters to decide tax issue to fund operation of Wayne County Care Center

WOOSTER TWP. − Wayne County commissioners are seeking a tax renewal and increase in the May 2 primary election to help fund operation of the Care Center, which provides skilled nursing and rehabilitation services.

The renewal is 0.7 mills and the increase is 0.5 mills, bringing the total tax levy to 1.2 mills to operate, maintain and repair the facility. The five-year levy would generate more than $3.5 million per year, which commissioner say would help offset rising inflation and staffing shortages.

Ranings: Wooster Community Hospital make Best Nursing Home list by U.S. News & World Report

Commissioner Ron Amstutz said approval of the tax would more than double the cost for the owner of a $100,000 home from $17 a year to roughly $37 annually.

"This is to help increase the staffing level to the level we need to provide the best care we can," Amstutz said. "To do that, we need to keep up with payroll increases."

Grappling with a worker shortage and inflation

The worker shortage started before the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world in 2020. The global health crisis only made matters worse, he said.

Individuals left the medical sector because they were overworked, wanted to remain safe from the virus or disagreed with new medical protocols meant to keep employees and patients safe.

At the same time, supply chains slowed while inflation fluctuated. Today, inflation is up.

Worker shortage: A worker shortage already existed for most industries, the pandemic made it worse

"The care center faces the same pressures that other nursing facilities are facing with staffing costs and other operating and maintenance cost increases," according to Amstutz. "COVID conditions contributed to these costs, including workforce, supply chain and heightened regulatory costs that are going to impact costs for years."

As inflation increased, so too did attempts to increase payroll, Amstutz said, but maintenance and material needs remain high, straining finances.

"Commissioners see declining reserve balances in both operating and capital funds," he said. "This will stabilize finances for the future.

What services does the Care Center provide?

The Wayne County Care Center's history stretches back to the 1850s when commissioners bought 286 acres to build the County Home, which housed the sick, elderly and homeless families with kids, according to the center's website.

The hospital and housing for nurses were added in the 1930s.

A dairy farm and residential gardens provided food goods to the facility until the 1970s. A decade later it was renamed the Care Center and reopened with 50 beds as a Medicaid-certified nursing home.

Today, the facility offers speech, occupational and physical therapies for residential rehabilitative care. This is for long-term or short-term rehabilitation for anything ranging from hip replacements to pain management.

The facility offers a variety of activities for residents, including events, games and art-related opportunities.

There are religious programs, beauty and barber services, personal shopping, recreational activities, a variety of medical services, notaries and more on campus.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Voters to decide tax levy to fund operation of Wayne Care Center