Friendship Ridge nursing home is a gem in our community. As a county run nursing home, its top priority is, and always has been, providing the highest quality care possible to our seniors, regardless of their ability to pay. The healthcare workers at the Ridge have dedicated their lives to caring for our residents, and the home is a valuable asset to the county.
Now County Commissioners are considering selling the Ridge. This would jeopardize quality care, placing our nursing home in the hands of a corporation that puts profits over people.
This move is fundamentally wrong for Beaver County. In 2010, County-run homes in Lackawanna and Cambria Counties were sold and have subsequently had these results:
- The former Lackawanna County Home (Lackawanna Health and Rehab Center) has an overall rating of below average from the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is listed as a “Special Focus Facility.” If a nursing home has a recent history of persistent poor quality of care, as indicated by the findings of state or Federal inspection teams, it is considered a Special Focus Facility.
- The former Cambria County Home (Cambria Care Center) also has an overall rating of below average and much below average for health inspections according to HHS.
Friendship Ridge is good for the community:
- Friendship Ridge is an asset to Beaver County. In 2011, the home generated over $57 million in revenue, and nearly 75% of that was from state and federal funding. If you decide to sell this asset, we can never go back. It also provides not only a vital service, but quality jobs for hundreds of people – jobs that Beaver so desperately needs. If the home is sold, we can never go back.
- Friendship Ridge workers are committed to working with commissioners to create a plan that will ensure the home can remain viable.
Our seniors deserve dignity and quality care. We will not let a corporation make money off our most vulnerable citizens.