Rhea Landholm, brand marketing and communications manager, [email protected], 402.687.2100 ext 1025
LYONS, NEBRASKA – Over the past decade, almost two dozen long-term care facilities have closed across rural areas of Nebraska. Released today by the Center for Rural Affairs, “Fact sheet: Rural Nebraska’s shifting long-term care system” examines the number of long-term care facilities and beds.
The fact sheet highlights several factors that impact the financial viability of rural long-term care providers as found in “Rural Nebraska’s shifting long-term care system,” a white paper released recently by the Center for Rural Affairs.
“As access becomes more limited and fewer beds are available, many rural Nebraskans and their families are struggling to find long-term care,” said Cody Smith, policy writing assistant at the Center for Rural Affairs and author of the fact sheet. “When a community's long-term care facility closes, elder residents are forced to decide if they should leave their community or risk staying in their homes without care.”
This session, the Nebraska Legislature is considering Legislative Bill 181, introduced by Sen. Kate Bolz. The bill would instruct the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to study the financial sustainability of the state’s long-term care system.
“The study outlined in Legislative Bill 181 is long overdue and could offer a road map for the Legislature to assist with planning and necessary interventions for long-term care providers and the patients they serve,” Smith said. “Nebraskans deserve access to long-term care, and conducting a study is a crucial first step in the right direction.”
For more information and to view “Fact sheet: Rural Nebraska’s shifting long-term care system,” visit cfra.org/publications.
