LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Bonham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is set to close its doors due to no longer being able to sustain operations, according to spokesperson for the facility.
Jennifer Vandermark, a spokesperson for Bonham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Huntington Township tells 28/22 News due to the financial realities of the long-term care system in Pennsylvania, the facility has no choice but to close.
“The community has been very vocal in regard to the future plans of the facility which has led to families discharging their loved ones. The facility census is now at the point that we can no longer sustain operations.
The facility is working in conjunction with the Ombudsman, as well as the Department of Health, to ensure a safe and orderly discharge of the residents.”
Jennifer Vandermark, Spokesperson for Bonham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
28/22 News spoke to a representative for Bonham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center back in February who said the number of residents has recently gone from 70 to 40.
Vandermark states that this issue is becoming a common story in Pennsylvania, as nursing home providers are either filing for bankruptcy, changing ownership, selling operations, or closing doors.
“Years of insufficient Medicaid reimbursement, coupled with severe staffing shortages and burdensome regulations, have created a crisis in long-term care,” Vandermark said.
Vandermark says she hopes that the decision to close their nursing home forces legislators and lawmakers to “open their eyes to the realities so many are facing, and act on those realities.”
