>>> FUNDING FOR NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS PROVIDED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE NEW JERSEY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.

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>>> FROM NJ PBS, THIS IS NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS WITH BRIANA VANNOZZI.

>> GOOD EVENING, WELCOME TO NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS.

I'M RHONDA SCHAFFLER IN FOR BRIANA VANNOZZI.

ON THIS NEW YEAR'S EVE, WE ARE BRINGING YOU NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS SPECIAL REPORT CALLED AGING IN NEW JERSEY.

THIS SPECIAL REPORT COMES FROM THE HARD WORK OF OUR DEVELOPMENT TEAM WHO BEFORE COVID AS PART OF OUR COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WOULD BRING TOGETHER COMMUNITY LEADERS IN PERSON TO DISCUSS IMPORTANT ISSUES IMPACTING OUR STATE.

ONCE COVID HIT, OUR DIGITAL TEAM BEGAN PRODUCING THESE AS VIRTUAL ROUND TABLES ONLINE.

BUT, IT IS INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.

SO TONIGHT, WE DECIDED TO REPRODUCE AND BROADCAST ONE OF THESE CONVERSATIONS FOR YOU, OUR TELEVISION AUDIENCE.

WITH 2021 ENDING WITH THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY PAYING A MASSIVE $53 MILLION NEGLIGENCE SETTLEMENT TO FAMILIES OF TWO VETERAN FACILITIES, AND WITH MORE THAN 8,000 RESIDENTS AND LONG TERM CARE STAFF DYING FROM THE COVID OUTBREAK, OUR VERY OWN HEALTH CARE REPORTER, MODERATES THE DISCUSSION LOOKING AT THE FUTURE OF LONG TERM CARE HERE IN THE STATE AS 2022 BEGINS.

LILO IS JOINED BY NEW JERSEY'S LONG TERM HEALTH.

JAMES GONZALEZ, THE PRESIDENT CEO OF THE BROADWAY HOUSE, SUSAN C. RONHART.

DIRECTOR OF AARP'S PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE.

AND BARBARA ROSEN.

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES.

HERE NOW IS LILO.

>> Reporter: HI EVERYONE.

THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN THIS AFTERNOON.

THIS IS THE TOPIC NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.

HAVING CARED FOR A MOTHER WHO WAS AGING, AND AGING MYSELF LIKE ALL OF US, IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.

IT IS A TOUGH TIME TO GET OLD IN AMERICA.

IT IS PROBABLY A TOUGH TIME IN NEW JERSEY OF COURSE AS WELL.

COVID TOOK AN ENORMOUS TOLL ON OLDER FOLKS IN OUR COUNTRY.

IN NEW JERSEY, EIGHT OUT OF TEN DEATHS INVOLVED FOLKS OVER 65.

AND MORE THAN 45% OF THE TOTAL DEATHS.

AND THERE WERE MORE THAN 28,000 DEATHS.

45% OF THOSE EVERY 80.

SO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT RISK AS YOU GET OLDER.

30% OF THOSE DEATHS I MENTIONED FROM COVID ARE FROM NURSING HOMES.

SOME OF THOSE INVOLVE STAFF, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE RESIDENTS.

8,000 PEOPLE.

THE NEW JERSEY HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION HAD A STUDY THAT SHOWED AT-HOME DEATHS ALSO WENT UP DURING 2020.

A RESULT LARGELY OF PEOPLE NOT GETTING THE CARE THEY NEEDED BECAUSE HOSPITALS WERE CLOSED TO ANYTHING BUT ABSOLUTE EMERGENCIES.

A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T GO.

I'M GOING TO START WITH OUR PANEL.

LORI.

I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH YOU.

YOU HAVE REALLY BEEN IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO WATCH WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

AND WHILE YOU WEREN'T ALWAYS ABLE TO GET INSIDE SOME OF THE INSTITUTIONS THAT YOU MONITOR, YOU KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT.

NOT JUST ABOUT THAT, WHAT YOU SAW, BUT WHERE ARE WE NOW?

HERE WE ARE NOT OUT OF COVID GOING INTO POTENTIALLY ANOTHER WAVE.

BUT, WHERE ARE WE NOW WHEN IT COMES TO INSTITUTIONS THAT YOU MONITOR?

>> WE ARE CERTAINLY IN A BETTER PLACE THAN WE WERE.

BECAUSE OF THE VACCINE.

BUT, WHERE WE ARE NOW, WE NEED TO MAKE A FULL COURT PRESS TO GET RESIDENTS AND STAFF VACCINATED.

A BOOSTER.

RIGHT?

BECAUSE WE HAVE ABOUT 65% OF THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE BOOSTERRED.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A WORD, BUT I'M GOING TO USE IT.

AND WE HAVE ONLY 30% OF STAFF.

RIGHT?

SO THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM WE EXPERIENCED WHEN IT CAME TO GETTING FULLY VACCINATED.

THE TWO SHOTS.

THAT IS REALLY WHERE WE ARE NOW AND THAT'S THE HUGE FOCUS.

WHERE WE ARE NOW IN TERMS OF STAFFING PROBLEMS, BACK TO BASELINE BAD.

OKAY?

SO, THINGS ARE NOT GREAT IN TERMS OF STAFFING.

THE LABOR SHORTAGE THAT IS HITTING THE REST OF THE ECONOMY IS ABSOLUTELY HITTING LONG TERM CARE.

SO, WE ARE REALLY KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THAT IN MY OFFICE.

WE ADVOCATE FOR RESIDENTS LONG TERM CARE BY INVESTIGATING ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND EXPLOITATION.

WE ARE PUSHING OUT INTO THE FACILITIES AND TRYING TO BE A QUALITY MONITORING PRESENCE THERE.

I DO WANT TO PICK UP ON SOMETHING YOU SAID ABOUT NEW ATTENTION BEING PAID TO NURSING HOMES.

LONG OVERDUE.

VERY IMPORTANT.

THE THING THAT WE NEED TO DO IN TERMS OF FRAMING OUR DISCUSSION AROUND NURSING HOMES IS WE HAVE TO CALL THEM WHAT THEY ARE.

WHICH IS INSTITUTIONS.

WE HAVE GRADUALLY BEEN MOVING AWAY FROM KEEPING PEOPLE IN LARGE UNMANAGEABLE INSTITUTIONS ON THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY SIDE.

ON THE MENTAL HEALTH SIDE.

STATE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS.

WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT NURSING HOMES IN THE SAME WAY.

THEY ARE LARGE.

THEY ARE UNMANAGEABLE.

THEY ARE OFTEN INHUMANE.

LET ME JUST THROW SOME NUMBERS AT YOU IN TERMS OF WHAT NEW JERSEY HAS IN TERMS OF NURSING HOMES.

WE HAVE THREE THAT A APPROVED FOR OVER 500 BEDS.

FIVE APPROVED FOR OVER 400 BEDS.

14 APPROVED FOR OVER 300 BEDS.

AND, 149 WITH 150 BEDS OR MORE.

SO, THESE ARE INSTITUTIONS THAT WE ARE RUNNING HERE.

>> JIM, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO THAT.

BROADWAY HOUSE IS NOT A 150 BED PLACE.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FASCINATING.

>> OUR STAFF, WE ARE NOW 100% VACCINATED.

OUR RESIDENTS ARE 98% VACCINATED.

AND WE ARE ALMOST HERE WITH THE BOOSTERS.

PROBABLY THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE WILL BE ALL BOOSTERRED.

BUT, THE HUGE CHALLENGE IS GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT TO THE OTHER FACILITIES.

GETTING THEIR LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT TEAMS TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE VACCINATION PROCESS.

>> WHO INITIALLY SAVED SOME OF THE BLAME AS THOUGH THEY WERE SOMEHOW RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSMITTING THE VIRUS SOLELY IN FACILITIES.

NOW FACING PTSD, BURNOUT IN HUGE NUMBERS.

OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.

IS THIS A BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM?

>> NOW, IF WE REPRESENT ABOUT 14,000 HEALTH CARE WORKERS ACROSS NEW JERSEY.

AND SOME IN PENNSYLVANIA.

WE ARE ABOUT 63% REGISTERED NURSE.

THE OTHER PERCENT, OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.

SO OUR FRONT LINE WORKERS HAVE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE COVID EXPERIENCE, ARE STILL EXPERIENCING A LOT OF PTSD AND A LOT OF THEM HAVE LEFT THE PROFESSION ALTOGETHER.

OTHERS ARE STILL RECOVERING FROM LONG TERM COVID.

THEY ARE EXPERIENCING.

SO WE ARE RIGHT NOW WORKING THROUGH THAT.

AND, DECREASED STAFFING EVERYWHERE IN OUR HOSPITALS.

IN OUR NURSING HOMES.

AND I'M JUST LOOKING AT THESE COVID NUMBERS THAT ARE VERY HIGH.

WE ARE GETTING READY TO GO INTO THE FIFTH WAVE OF THIS.

>> I WANT TO COME TO YOU.

AND YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE LOOKED AT THIS FROM OTHER STATES.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE REFORMS WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT NOW?

AND WHERE IS NEW JERSEY?

>> WE JUST RELEASED OUR NURSING HOME DASHBOARD THIS MORNING.

THIS IS SOMETHING I STARTED MORE THAN A YEAR AGO.

AND WE USED DATA FROM THE CDC AND CMS.

WHAT YOU JUST REPORTED, IS THE DATA THAT IS AVAILABLE.

IT IS ABOUT 50% VACCINATED AND BOOSTED.

FOR STAFF IT WAS 21%.

21.4%.

THERE ARE STATES THAT DO MUCH BETTER.

RIGHT NOW, THE HIGHEST WOULD BE AT 70%.

AND 36% OF THE STAFF.

TO ANYONE.

WHO COMES INTO THE NURSING HOME IS EXPOSING THESE VERY VULNERABLE RESIDENTS TO REALLY A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATIONS.

SO WE HAVE TO THINK OF INFECTION CONTROL.

AND A BIG DEAL IS GETTING RID OF THESE DOUBLE AND TRIPLE AND QUADRUPLE ROOMS.

WE HAVE TO MOVE TO PRIVATE ROOMS.

AND I KNOW THAT WE WILL SAY, WELL, MEDICAID DOESN'T PAY.

YES THEY DO.

GREENHOUSES, SMALL HOUSES ARE AN ANSWER.

ONE ANSWER TO THAT.

WE HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT THIS AND PUSHED IT.

AND IT CAUSED A LITTLE MORE TO START THEM.

BUT NO MORE TO KEEP THEM RUNNING.

AND THEY DO ACCEPT MEDICAID.

THIS IS DOABLE.

>> I HAVE HEARD FROM MANY OF YOUR COLLEAGUES.

HIGH-QUALITY FACILITY.

NURSING HOME FACILITIES.

THIS IS A HIGHLY REGULATED INDUSTRY FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

AND, THE STATE IN PARTICULAR HAS A LOT OF REGULATIONS.

A LOT MORE PROPOSED AFTER COVID.

WHERE DO YOU THINK THE BALANCE IS IN THAT NOW?

IS IT OVERREGULATED?

IS IT A QUESTION OF THE RIGHT REGULATIONS?

WHAT IS YOUR SENSE OF WHERE THAT IS TODAY?

>> SO LILO, JUST AS A BACKGROUND, I'M A TRAINED PROFESSIONAL HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR.

AND SMALL TERM CARE ADMINISTRATOR AS WELL.

AND, I HAVE LIVED IN BOTH WORLDS.

AND YES.

I THINK, IN BOTH ENVIRONMENTS, THEY ARE A GREAT DEAL OF REGULATIONS.

YOUR FOCUS WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION IS TO DO WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF YOUR PATIENT OR YOUR RESIDENT.

THE REGULATIONS ARE IMPORTANT.

I KNOW IT IS VERY CUMBERSOME SOMETIMES.

SOME OF THEM SEEM REPETITIOUS.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR THE INTERESTS OF THE PATIENT.

AND I THINK, HOPEFULLY, I'M HOPING THAT ALL OF THE LEADERS, ALL HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS IN THE STATE FEEL THE SAME WAY.

AND, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.

LARGE GROUPS OF ORGANIZATIONS ARE BUYING UP NURSING HOMES ACROSS THE STATE.

YOU KNOW.

SOME HAVE SOME QUALITY INSTITUTIONS.

THERE ARE OTHERS WITH SOME QUESTIONABLE PATH.

>> I HAVE COVERED THE INDUSTRY SOME TIME.

AND THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE ARGUMENT MADE BY PEOPLE WHO OPERATE NURSING HOMES THAT THEY ARE JUST MEDICAID DOLLARS THAT DO NOD PAY ENOUGH FOR THE LEVEL OF CARE THEY WANT TO GIVE SO THERE IS AN UNDERFUNDING THERE WHICH LEADS TO A DEFICIT EVERY YEAR.

THE SUGGESTION IS MORE MONEY IS NEEDED.

THESE ARE INDUSTRIES WHERE THE WAGES ARE CHRONICALLY LOW.

I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU, IS IT ABOUT MORE MONEY?

I NOTICED JIM SAID SOMETHING INTERESTING THERE THAT PEOPLE ARE BUYING UP NURSING HOMES.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MONEY AND PROFITABILITY.

>> JIM TOUCHED ON IT.

SUSAN TOUCHED UPON IT.

THE PERCENTAGE OF FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.

PRIVATE EQUITIES BUYING UP NURSING HOMES IN NEW JERSEY CONTINUE TO GO UP.

IT IS PROBABLY AT ABOUT 75% NOW.

SQUEEZING OUT NON-PROFITS WHO PERFORMED BETTER DURING COVID IN TERMS OF MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY.

SO, IF THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY IN THE SYSTEM, YOU HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION.

WHY IS IT THAT THESE COMPANIES ARE SO VERY INTERESTED IN DOING THIS QUESTION.

I DON'T USE A BLUNT INSTRUMENT OF A MEDICAID RATE INCREASE.

SUSAN HIT ON IT.

WE ALL HAVE.

THERE ARE AT HOME MODELS.

YOU CAN MAKE IT WORK.

PERHAPS WE NEED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BUY EIGHT TO TEN PERSON UNIT.

SINGLE OCCUPANCY ROOMS.

A KITCHEN AREA, A LIVING AREA.

IT CAN BE DONE.

>> I THINK IT WAS IN EITHER HEALTH NEWS.

THERE WAS THIS NOTE ABOUT HOW CALIFORNIA HAS PROPOSED SOME KIND OF A SYSTEM IN WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE VACCINE MANDATE.

BUT IN WHICH THEY ARE PROPOSING TO TIE OUTCOMES TO PAYMENTS.

AND IT MADE ME THINK OF SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD.

BARBARA, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU ABOUT, WHAT DOES OWNERSHIP, HOW DOES OWNERSHIP MATTER FOR WORKERS?

WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO THE WORK FORCE THERE?

WHY DOES IT MATTER WHO OWNS THE FACILITY?

>> WELL, THERE'S GOOD OWNERS AND THERE'S BAD OWNERS.

AND I THINK WE HAVE SEEN IT ALL.

WHAT WE SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY, WITH FOR-PROFIT, I HAVE SEEN IT WORK BOTH WAYS.

THERE IS THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE MAIN GOAL ON IT.

THE CHRONIC CUT IN STAFF AND SERVICES.

AND OWNERSHIP DOES MATTER A LOT.

>> HOW DO WE DO A BETTER JOB OF MAKING SURE IS MONEY IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO?

>> WE HAVE MEDICAID PAYMENTS, OR PAYMENTS IN GENERAL.

WE SHOULD HAVE A NEW JERSEY DEALING WITH THE REGULATIONS TO SAY A CERTAIN%.

85, 90%.

OTHER STATES ARE LOOKING AT THIS AS WELL.

THAT MONEY HAS TO GO TO THE WAGES.

GO TO THE STAFF.

YOU CAN'T JUST HAVE SO MUCH GOING INTO PROFITS.

I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT THE PROFIT AND FIGURES.

I ALSO WANT TO SAY, THAT, WE DID ANOTHER COLLABORATION WITH YALE UNIVERSITY.

AND IT'S A LONG STORY.

BUT BASICALLY, THEY STUDIED THE SHARING OF STAFF ACROSS NURSING HOMES.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THEY HAVE DATA FOR EVERY NURSING HOME IN THE UNITED STATES.

BASED ON CELL PHONE DATA.

THIS SHOWS HOW OFTEN THEY GO TO WORK IN MORE THAN ONE NURSING HOME.

AND YOU ASK WHY?

WHY IS THAT SO?

TO HAVE A FULL TIME JOB WITH BENEFITS.

SO, THEY DON'T GET BENEFITS AND THEY ARE JUMPING AROUND.

WHICH BY THE WAY, MAKES INFECTION RATES BECOME WORSE.

>> WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF OUR NURSING HOME WORKERS THAT EVEN HAVE FULL TIME JOBS WITH BENEFITS.

THE SALARY ISN'T ENOUGH.

A LOT OF THEM WORKING A LOT OF OVERTIME.

IF THEY ARE NOT GETING THE OVERTIME IN THEIR FACILITY, THEY GO ELSEWHERE WITH IT AND IT RESULTS IN, IT IS VERY HARD WORK.

WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF MUSCULAR SKELETAL INJURIES.

AND THAT WORK FORCE.

AND A LOT OF BURNOUT.

>> HOW DO YOU TRY TO KEEP THAT TURN TO A MINIMUM?

HOW DO YOU MAKE IT IS PLACE WHERE WORKERS WANT TO COME TO WORK?

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?

>> WE HAVE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING A HIGH QUALITY SKILLED STAFF.

EVEN BEFORE THE WAGE STRUCTURE WAS INSTITUTED, WE ARE ALREADY PAYING OUR CNAs $15 ALREADY.

SO, CLEARLY, WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT ENHANCING THOSE RATES BECAUSE OF THE MARKETPLACE, NUMBER ONE.

BUT, WE HAVE ALSO BEEN APPLYING GRATITUDE PAYMENTS.

SO PERIODICALLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, YOU KNOW, IF OUR CASH FLOW IS GOOD, WE HAVE INCENTIVIZED ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE STAFF.

EVEN OUR CONTRACT SERVICES AS WELL.

SO, THAT IS ONE ASPECT OF IT.

WE FOCUS ON CONTINUING EDUCATION.

WE HAVE OVER 15 AFFILIATION AGREEMENTS FOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO ASSIST SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE.

SCHOOLS OF NURSING.

PA STUDENTS.

THAT KIND OF GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.

AND TO CONSIDER IT AS A FUTURE OPPORTUNITY.

AS A CAREER PATH.

>> ANYTHING ELSE THAT AARP HAS TALKED ABOUT SPECIFICALLY FOR WORK FORCE?

>> IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO COME BACK.

THESE CONVERSATIONS SO OFTEN COME BACK TO WORK FORCE.

>> THERE IS ALSO SELF- DIRECTION.

SO, SELF-DIRECTION MEANS YOU CAN HIRE YOUR NEIGHBOR, YOUR GRANDSON OR GRANDDAUGHTER.

WE WERE A MODEL.

WE HAVE HAD THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

BUT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXPANDED BEYOND PERSONAL CARE.

THAT WE SHOULD JUST EXPAND IT.

IF YOU CAN HELP FAMILY CARE GIVERS GET PAID FOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

I DON'T MEAN IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

BUT I AM TALKING ABOUT SELF- DIRECTION.

BECAUSE THEN, THEY CAN BE EMPLOYEES.

AND THEY CAN PROVIDE THE CARE.

SO THAT IS A VERY, VERY STRONG THING.

THERE IS ALSO THE IDEA OF FAMILY CARE GIVERS WHO ARE NO LONGER FAMILY CARE GIVERS.

FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS.

THEY HAVE A PATH TO BECOME A CNA, A HOME HEALTH AIDE, A NURSE, ET CETERA.

AND THEY HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT.

>> IT IS JUST INTERESTING, THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY MEMBERS.

I WANTED TO ASK YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS LORI.

YOU WORK CLOSELY WITH FAMILIES.

BUT, READ A STUDY THE OTHER DAY THAT TALKED ABOUT HOW, I'M NOT QUITE SURE OF THE REASONS.

BUT, THE FAMILY CARE GIVER RATIO TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO NEEDS CARE, WHICH APPARENTLY, IS 70% OF US WILL NEED CARE AT SOME POINT.

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT IS NOT 85 OR 90.

BUT, IT IS GOING TO GO FROM SEVEN TO ONE.

I THINK THAT WAS IN 2015.

TO THREE TO ONE BY 2050.

I'M GUESSING THAT IS SMALLER FAMILIES.

ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

AND, I'M CURIOUS HOW WE ARE ENGAGING FAMILIES NOW.

I KNOW THIS WAS A BIG ISSUE DURING THE PANDEMIC.

AND HOW CAN WE DO BETTER AT THAT WHETHER IT IS HOME BASED OR INSTITUTIONAL?

>> I CAN SPEAK PRIMARILY TO THE INSTITUTIONAL.

WE FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY WHEN WE SHUT THE DOORS OF THE NURSING HOME.

HOW MUCH CARE FAMILIES PROVIDE.

WE KNOW THIS IN THE COMMUNITY.

ARP HAS BEEN A LEADER IN PUSHING FOR CARE GIVER SUPPORT.

IT WAS NOT LONG RECOGNIZED HOW IMPORTANT A FUNCTION FAMILIES AND OTHER CARE GIVERS PAID IN THE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT UNTIL THEY WERE LOCKED OUT.

AND THEN, THE OTHER THINGS HAPPENED.

THE SOCIAL ISOLATION.

THE LONELINESS.

THE PHYSICAL DECONDITIONING THAT COMES, AND EMOTIONAL DECONDITIONING THAT COMES WITH THAT.

ONE OF THE TOP DEVELOPMENTS OF COVID AND THE PANDEMIC WAS THAT FAMILIES REALLY CAME TOGETHER.

GALVANIZED AND ORGANIZED ORGANICALLY AROUND THE ISSUE OF VISITATION.

THERE IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT GROUP CALLED FACE NEW JERSEY.

STARTED AS A FACEBOOK GROUP.

IT HAS EVOLVED INTO AN ADVOCACY GROUP OF FAMILY MEMBERS WITH LOVED ONES IN LONG TERM CARE.

FROM THE COMMUNITY SIDE, WE NEED TO FIRST OF ALL ASK THE CARE GIVER HOW THEY ARE DOING.

WE HAVE TO ASSESS THEM WHICH MEANS A CONVERSATION NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE PATIENT OR THE PERSON, BUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOU.

SO WE HAVE TO HAVE ASSESSMENTS AND WE WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO WHAT THEY NEED.

AND, THE TRAINING IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.

WE ARE ASKING THEM, WE ASK THEM TO DO THINGS THAT MAKE NURSING STUDENTS TREMBLE.

I WAS SHAKING WHEN I DID SOME OF THESE THINGS AS A STUDENT.

BUT, WE JUST GO HERE, HERE YOU GO, YOU CAN DO THIS.

IT WILL BE EASY.

LET ME SHOW YOU, AND THEN WE ARE OUT THE DOOR.

THEY NEED MORE SUPPORT THAN THIS.

ABOUT HALF OF THEM ARE DOING VERY COMPLICATED THINGS.

WE ARE TALKING VENTILATORS TOO, EVEN.

DIALYSIS.

IT IS UNBELIEVABLE WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

THEY NEED A BREAK.

THEY NEED FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

$7,000 A YEAR ON AVERAGE OF THEIR OWN MONEY.

IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE CARE GIVER.

BUT THEIR WHOLE FAMILY.

SO WE HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WHOLE FAMILY UNIT AND THE MULTIGENERATIONAL FAMILY.

>> I KNOW JIM HAS THOUGHTS ON COMMUNITY VERSUS BENEFITS IN THE CURRENT STRUCTURE FOR OLDERLY FOLKS TO AGE IN ISOLATION.

AND, THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY IDEAL.

JIM, CAN I TALK TO YOU ON THAT?

I HATE TO SAY, INSTITUTION, BUT IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION.

IN GROUPS.

IN SETTINGS FOR ELDERLY FOLKS.

I THINK THAT IS AN IMPORTANT POINT, TOO.

>> AND, WE SEE IT IN OUR POPULATION.

WE ARE A UNIQUE FACILITY IN THAT WE ARE PRIMARILY CARING FOR THOSE.

WE WERE BUILT ON A FOUNDATION WHERE THE CLINICAL PIECE WAS FOUND IN DAY ONE.

WE HAVE APN ON STAFF.

YOU KNOW, THEIR FAMILY STRUCTURES ARE NOT THERE.

THEIR SENSE OF FAMILIES OR FRIENDS THAT CAN HELP THEM.

TRANSITION FROM NURSING HOMES.

THOSE ARE THE ISSUES THAT RELY ON BRINGING FORTH MORE OF AN EFFORT FOR OUR NURSING HOME INDUSTRY TO KIND OF STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND ADDRESS THE ACUITY CARE LEVELS OF THE INDIVIDUALS SO THAT THEY CAN SUCCEED IN OUR LONG TERM CARE SETTINGS.

>> THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

MY PANELISTS.

I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

>> AND THANK YOU, LILO.

AND THAT DOES IT FOR US TONIGHT AND THIS YEAR.

FROM THE ENTIRE TEAM AT NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS, WE WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR.

THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TONIGHT AND HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY WEEKEND.

>> NJM INSURANCE GROUP.

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