Ohio nursing homes say job losses tied to state, federal funding cuts

A new study conducted by a national nursing home advocacy organization has found that state and federal cuts to the industry have already led to the lost of thousands of jobs (Source: “Nursing homes protest funding cuts,” Columbus Dispatch, Dec. 8, 2011).

“Ohio is ground zero for what will be coming for the rest of the country,” said Alan G. Rosenbloom, president of the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care, which commissioned the study of federal cuts.

A separate survey of 385 Ohio nursing homes found that 2,800 jobs had been eliminated between July 1 and Sept. 1 — or soon would be — following a 6 percent budget cut to the state’s Medicaid program, the tax-funded health-insurance program for the poor and disabled.

However, administration officials counter that their efforts to reduce state funding for institutional care has opened up more job opportunities in home- and community-based settings.

“At a time when Ohio is recovering from having lost 400,000 jobs, taxpayers can’t afford to pay for costly institutional care in nursing homes like we did in the past, especially when seniors are saying loud and clear that they prefer to receive services in home- and community-based settings,” said Eric Poklar, spokesman for the Governor’s Office of Health Care Transformation.