State nursing homes say Gov. Cuomo's budget will cripple them and force massive layoffs."As much as the owners truly regret being forced to do it, they know they must implement significant reductions in staff," the Coalition for Affordable Care, a group representing owners of 40 state nursing homes, warned health care workers in a letter this week.The coalition says the state has already slashed $1.4 billion in nursing home funding since 2007 – and could lose even more if Cuomo's budget is adopted."The last few years have ravaged the nursing home industry," said John Chobar, executive director of the group.Nursing homes may be forced to eliminate as much as a quarter of its staff, Chobar warned.He noted workers with the least seniority would be the first to go under union rules."You are going to find a tremendous amount of people being put out of work," predicted Bruce Peckman, owner of Highfield Gardens nursing home in Great Neck, L.I.New York's entire health care industry could face massive layoffs since Cuomo ordered $2.85 billion in cuts to Medicaid.The union representing most nursing home workers, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, said it received the coalition's letter, but claimed it wasn't familiar with the group.It backs Cuomo's Medicaid plan.klucadamo@nydailynews.comLocal: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/03/24/2011-03-24_govs_plan_unhealthy_for_nursing_homes_say_owners.html
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Planet of the Blind 
Significant reductions in nursing home staff- this is very sad. As a nursing home employee, I know what this means. More residents who require verbal encouragement and/or physical assistance to eat will sit in front of food which remains uneaten. More residents will lay in their body wastes for longer periods of time. More residents who need toileting assistance will be made incontinent as it is easier and quicker to change an adult diaper than to assist an old person to use the toilet. More residents will be wheeled silently to to the next destination of the day with no greeting as there is no time to stand in front of them with a smile and say, “Good Morning, Mrs. —. I am taking you to—.” More residents will lie in bed all day,instead of being taken to activities. Showers will be less frequent. The nursing home industry is already short-handed and understaffed and I hope Gov Cuomo can find a way to decrease New York’s debt that does not involve causing more harm to our seniors.
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