WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Allegations of cold rooms and roof leaks inside a Williamsville nursing home are raising a broader question about the future of long-term care in New York.
Earlier this week, 7 News shared the story of 95-year-old Norma, who says she visits her daughter nearly six days a week at Comprehensive Rehab of Williamsville. Norma described roof leaks, buckets lining hallways and rooms she says felt unusually cold.
Her family and employees allege temperatures inside the facility were lowered to manage snowmelt and worsening roof leaks. The facility declined to comment.
WATCH: Family and sources claim rooms in Williamsville long-term care facility kept cold to manage roof leaks
Health care leaders say the concerns raised in Williamsville may reflect deeper financial pressures facing facilities across the state.
“We’re at a breaking point,” New York State Health Facilities Association President Stephen Hanse said.
Hanse says since 2020, 14 nursing homes have closed statewide, and roughly 70 percent are operating in the red.
Documents show that New York’s Medicaid program is projected to spend nearly $124 billion in the upcoming fiscal year.
Long-term care services account for more than 60 percent of Medicaid spending, while serving about 6 percent of recipients.
State leaders say they have delivered the largest nursing home rate increases in 20 years and invested in workforce support and long-term care services.
But Hanse argues rising labor costs, insurance premiums and operating expenses continue to outpace reimbursement rates.
“That disinvestment is a recipe for failure,” Hanse said. “We are in a crisis," he added.
He also warns that as New York’s population ages, sometimes referred to as the coming “silver tsunami," demand for skilled nursing beds is expected to increase, even as facilities struggle financially.
“In 2030, New York does not have the beds to meet the needs of folks who need skilled nursing care,” Hanse said.
WATCH: Cold rooms, leaking roofs: Health care leaders warn of 'breaking point' at facilities across NYS
For families like Norma’s, those budget debates feel distant.
At 95 years old, she says she will continue showing up to check on her daughter, because she worries about what could happen if she doesn’t.
The New York State Department of Health oversees nursing home inspections.
7 News has reached out to the New York State Department of Health for a comment on the facility conditions. We are waiting to hear back.
A staff member at Comprehensive Rehab of Williamsville declined to comment.
