CT company grants West Hartford’s Hughes rehab’s request to shut; facility operated for 50 years

The state has granted an utility by the house owners of Hughes Well being and Rehabilitation to shut the nursing residence that has operated at 29 Highland St. in West Hartford for 50 years.

Nursing residence operators want state approval to shut and Hughes utilized in late March, based mostly on rising well being care prices and a pattern towards residence care which have eroded income. The expert nursing residence misplaced greater than $1 million over the past yr and a half and was working at about half capability.

“The choice to shut Hughes Well being and Rehabilitation, Inc. comes after quite a few makes an attempt to revitalize the middle’s declining census,” proprietor Sam Flaxman advised residents and their households by letter in late March.

“The declining census in addition to staffing wants and extreme value will increase have immediately attributed to elevated losses not coated by Connecticut’s reimbursement program and the rising pattern in the direction of using residence and community-based providers,” he wrote.

Hughes filed a petition with the state Department of Social Services on March 30 to shut the 170-bed residence.

“The closure of a talented nursing facility isn’t simple, particularly for the residents,” DSS Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves mentioned Friday. “DSS’ precedence is to work with the Lengthy Time period Care Ombudsman to make sure that all residents may be positioned in appropriate housing and that Hughes continues to comply with all state laws and meet residents’ wants whereas this course of strikes ahead.”

Hughes Well being is required to speak a closure plan to its sufferers and their households and work with related state businesses throughout the closing course of to ensure a continuum of care. Hughes can not shut the power and should proceed to supply providers and take care of its residents till all residents have secured and moved to new housing.

DSS’ Money Follows the Person program and the State Lengthy-Time period Care Ombudsman will work with Hughes Well being, residents, and residents’ households to supply placement and different providers throughout the close-down interval. This can embrace working with households to seek out different nursing amenities or at residence care providers.

“I perceive this can be a tough time for everybody concerned, and I need to specific my sympathy to all these affected by this information,” Mairead Painter, the state’s Long-Term Care ombudsman mentioned.

“We are going to make sure that residents’ rights are protected all through this course of. We’re dedicated to offering help all through this transition, together with serving to residents and relations obtain all the data they should make an knowledgeable resolution about their future,” Painter mentioned.