The majority of residents of Emporia Rehabilitation Center have found new homes at care centers in Emporia and surrounding counties, and others are preparing to move after Christmas.
Emporia Rehab notified the Kansas Department on Aging last week that it would close its operation at 221 W. Logan Ave. The center has 30 days to make arrangements for residents to move to other care homes or residences, according to Greg Reser, acting commissioner of KDOA’s licensure certification and evaluation commission.
Flint Hills Care Center, 1620 Wheeler St., has accepted 15 residents from Emporia Rehab, business office manager Tiffany Vahsholtz said Monday afternoon.
“All but two have moved in,” Vahsholtz said.
Flint Hills officials first learned of the Rehab Center’s closing last week, when families began calling in search of rooms.
“We moved people in Thursday, Friday, Saturday and today, and we have two left that want to wait until after Christmas,” Vahsholtz said.
Official information about patient transfers from Emporia Rehab to Holiday Resort and Emporia Presbyterian Manor was not available by press time, although each apparently received at least one Rehab transfer.
Several Rehab residents have been placed outside Lyon County.
One has moved to Golden LivingCenter of Chase County in Cottonwood Falls, and additional beds there are available, according to Administrator Judy Boyce.
“We’re willing to help get them transferred over here, or whatever we need to do to help with the transition,” Boyce said. “Transition for the residents is very very rough, for leaving what they knew as home to a completely different facility.”
Osage Nursing Center, one of two nursing homes in Osage City, moved in three of the Emporia Rehab residents on Friday, director of nursing Marcy Mejia said.
Mejia said that Osage Nursing does not operate an Alzheimer’s unit, but does, like most care centers in this area, accept Alzheimer’s patients.
Peterson Nursing Home in Osage City also has received one of the Emporia Rehab patients and expects more.
“I know there’s supposed to be a second one coming and a possibility of a third,” Mejia said.
Mejia mentioned she also was concerned for the employees of Emporia Rehab.
“I know personally it’s not just about the resident, but it’s also about taking care of your staff as well,” she said.
While there currently are no staff openings at Peterson, Mejia encouraged Emporia Rehab employees to leave their information at the nursing home for future openings.
“I want to make sure we want to take care of them as well,” Mejia said.
Eureka Nursing Center already has hired two Emporia Rehab employees and has one former Rehab resident currently moved in, with another planning to move to Eureka, administrator Brett Garber said.
Families or guardians of Emporia Rehab residents who need help in finding another care home may call the office of Gilbert Cruz, Kansas State Ombudsman’s office toll-free at 877-622-8362, or visit the agency’s Web site at www.kansasombudsmen.ks.gov.
Cruz said that, through cooperation among ombudsmen nationwide, his office also can provide assistance to people who need help in transferring family members from Kansas to other states.
Emporia Rehab had 69 beds certified for Medicare and/or Medicaid patients and a capacity of 79 beds.
It had been listed as a “Special Focus Facility” by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services division of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The CMS Web site defined SFF designation as “nursing homes that have a history of persistent poor quality of care. These nursing homes have been selected for more frequent inspections and monitoring.”
The government report on nursing homes released last week gave Emporia Rehab an overall rating of two stars out of a possible five. It received one of five stars for health inspections, four of five for staffing and three of five stars for quality measures.
Golden Living Center of Chase County received five of five stars for its overall rating, as well as five of five for health inspections, two of five for staffing, and four of five for quality measures.
Golden Living Center of was the only nursing home within 50 miles of Emporia listed with an overall five-star rating by the CMS.
Emporia Presbyterian Manor, Council Grove Health Care Center, Life Care Center in Burlington, Peterson Nursing Home in Osage City, and Coffey County Hospital LTCU in Waverly each received four-star overall ratings from CMS within the 50-mile radius.
Detailed information about the ratings for all nursing homes can be found online at www.medicare.gov.