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Ohio Masonic Home to reduce beds, staff

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By Andrew McGinn, Staff Writer Updated 10:17 PM Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The Ohio Masonic Home will reduce the number of skilled nursing beds, the facility announced Wednesday, Aug. 19.

The decision has a little to do with the economy and a lot to do with the changes in how people are choosing to receive senior care.

“More and more people want to age in place,” said Tom Hickey, spokesman for the Masonic complex on Springfield’s western edge.

Added Jerry Guess, vice president of the Springfield Masonic Community, “They’d rather be at home.”

Having already reduced the number of nursing facility beds from a high of 298 to 190 several years ago at its main Springfield campus, the Ohio Masonic Home will further reduce the number of beds locally to 144 in the next four months, the facility announced.

Reducing the number of beds will mean a reduction in staff, which will be done through an early retirement offer and normal attrition, Hickey said.

The Ohio Masonic Home employs little more than 700 people across the state, with about 560 locally. Hickey wasn’t sure Wednesday how many employees would be affected by the change.

There are currently 180 residents in the nursing home, a combination of long-term patients and people recuperating after a procedure.

“We’re seeing fewer long stays in a skilled nursing facility,” Hickey said. “There are more and more options to families.”

There are fewer applications nationally for nursing homes with 24-hour care, according to Hickey, as families and potential residents consider assisted living and home health care options.

In addition, the Masonic Home is grappling with a decrease in its endowment and Medicaid reimbursements that haven’t kept pace with inflation, Hickey said.

“We’re trying to size our facility,” he said, “with what our community needs here.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0352 or amcginn@coxohio.com.

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