The New York Times article New York’s aging facilities, which have been plagued by chronic understaffing and high costs, are not getting better, according to a team of specialty care specialists led by the city’s Department of Health.
In addition to the aging aging workforce, the city has also struggled with a shortage of specialists and nursing assistants, among other challenges.
The city’s specialty care department is seeking to turn things around with the help of a private investment firm that has already invested more than $500 million in the city, according, in part, to its expertise in helping older residents deal with their illnesses.
The New Yorker reported in December that the City Council approved a $1.1 billion contract to buy specialty care facilities, including nursing homes and hospice centers, for $739 million.
The purchase, which is still pending, is aimed at providing specialty care to the citywide aging population and is expected to take at least two years to complete, according the New Yorker.
The specialty care group will have the expertise to help older residents improve their health through preventive care, as well as to help them manage chronic conditions.
The group also plans to open a medical center for elderly residents, and the department will be looking for qualified professionals to work in the new facility, according New York Department of City Planning Commissioner Kristin O’Brien.
O’Briens chief of staff, Nick Sollins, told Ars Technic that the department was looking for skilled nursing assistants to help coordinate care for seniors.
“It’s important that the specialized specialists have the experience and know-how to manage complex care,” O’Brion told the Times.
The Department of Aging has also received a $10 million infusion from the city to expand the specialized nursing home at Central Park.
New York has about 8,500 elderly residents and has seen some of the worst conditions in the country over the last decade.
The state spent $1 billion on the facility in 2014 and 2017, according The New Republic, which cited data from the state’s Aging Resource Center.
In 2014, the state spent more than 10 percent of its total budget on caring for the elderly, a number that has been rising.
Owing to the lack of access to specialists, the New York city aging population has had a long wait for help.
The City Council has approved a new $7.4 billion plan to build a nursing home for the city-wide aging populations and the city will begin providing services to those who need them in mid-2019.
The $7 million infusion will be used to buy specialized nursing facilities in addition to nursing homes, and it is also set to begin recruiting nursing home staff.
The department is looking to recruit an additional 100 staff to work at the new nursing home, according Sollios report.
The number of nursing home beds in New York State is estimated to be 3,600, and many of those nursing homes have been left vacant for decades, Sollies report said.
Sollias report, which was obtained by the Times, did not mention the city by name.
The aging population also has been facing financial woes, as the Times noted last year.
The health department estimates that the city lost nearly $400 million in 2016 alone, according Topps Healthcare, which reported in May that the state lost more than one-third of its revenue from health care spending in the past decade.
New Yorkers currently spend more than a third of their income on health care, according TOpps Healthcare.
In 2017, the average monthly premium for a family of four in New Jersey was $6,200.
Meanwhile, the median household income in New Hampshire was $31,858 in 2017.
New Jersey’s economy is projected to grow by just 1.6 percent in 2019, according Bloomberg.
The Times noted that New York is facing serious financial problems and needs to focus on its health care.
The new program to purchase specialty care for older residents will be a significant contribution to New Yorks economy, according O’Hara.