72- year old James Patton of Buffalo says doesn't know what he would do if Kaleida goes ahead with it's plans to close the Waterfront Health Care Center on Seventh street.
"It would effect me for the fact that they're going to split the sisters up and I would have to drive maybe 20 or 30 miles where as I can run over here and be back home or whatever," Patton told Eyewitness News.
Patton's wife Barbara and his sister-in law are both being cared for at the Waterfront Health Care Center. He put his wife in the nursing home after she suffered a series of debilitating health problems and it became impossible for him to care for her at home.
Patton says his wife also suffers from dementia.
"Every once in a while it breaks my heart when she says "how's your wife doing?" and I try to explain to her she's still my wife," said Patton.
In November Kaleida Health filed an application with the New York State Department of Health asking for permission to close the nursing home. Kaleida officials say the state's medicaid reimbursements are simply not enough to keep up with the costs of operating the center.
"This is an early warning that if we don't deal with this problem the reimbursement a continually cutting of the reimbursement rate we're going to see more nursing homes close down in inner cities throughout the state," said Buffalo Common Council member David Rivera.
On Wednesday Rivera and a coalition group of community leaders announced a council resolution calling on state lawmakers to come up with a way to save the center.
"Right now the state does not pay enough so these facilities can stay open, so we're saying come up with a creative solution a formula that helps the inner cities and poor folks they live on medicaid so they can receive these services," said Rivera.
Michael Hughes with Kaleida Health was also on hand for the announcement. Hughes says although Kaleida has been given the go ahead to shut down, they're still trying to find ways to keep the center open.
"There's a number of options, one is a possible transaction we have had interest from outside buyers that think they might be able to do it better than we do it. There's also the opportunity for the state to try and help us on the reimbursement side," said Hughes.
Meantime several state lawmakers have pledged their support to try to keep the nursing home open. So far no word on if on when the state will take up the issue.
Twitter
Facebook