Day of Caring event at Hempfield Manor advocates for increased nursing home funding in Pa.

This story was updated March 18, 2022, to correct Hempfield Manor’s ownership information.

Since March 2020, long-term health care workers have been sick more, battled stress and fought fatigue because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Pennsylvania Health Care Association hosted a “Day of Caring” Thursday at Hempfield Manor to mark the two-year anniversary of the pandemic and to spotlight the need to provide support and funding to help those bearing the brunt of working through covid.

PHCA President and CEO Zach Shamberg, state Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, state Rep. Eric Nelson and members of U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler’s staff gathered at the nursing home to volunteer their time and advocate for long-term health care workers.

“The folks in this facility and facilities like it all over our state and our country were on the frontlines for the past two years,” said Ward, a Hempfield Republican. “They’ve worked under immense pressure. They have done God’s work. They held the hands of dying family members when the family couldn’t (because) they weren’t allowed in. I don’t think we can say ‘thank you’ to them enough.”

In Pennsylvania, the long-term care field lost 18% of its workers in the first 18 months of the pandemic, according to PHCA. Additionally, 75% of state providers currently limit or halt new admissions.

This all is occurring as the state’s elderly population increases. In Westmoreland County, the 65-plus demographic rose from 18.9% in 2010 to 23.3% in 2019.

Shamberg believes more state funding will create a lasting solution to these problems. Specifically, PHCA is asking Pennsylvania to allot $294.3 million in Medicaid investment in its state budget this year.

“That will allow providers to pay workers more, hire more workers and meet inflation and higher operational costs,” Shamberg said. “Really, it will help sustain long-term care, not just next year but in the years ahead.”

On Thursday, Shamberg and the legislative leaders supported long-term care workers by serving lunch to residents at the Hempfield nursing home while workers enjoyed food outside catered by Lynn’s Franks.

Tracy Whatule, a Hempfield Manor case manager, said the gesture “meant a lot” to the workers.

“Believe me, we go through valleys and hills with things going on in (Hempfield Manor), so it’s nice for the state representatives and everybody who was here show us that they support us,” Whatule said.

Owned by HCF Management Inc., Hempfield Manor is home to about 100 residents. Many who enjoyed the Day of Caring lunch were decked out in green for St. Patrick’s Day.

Altozoe Smith said she enjoys living at Hempfield Manor but noted the nursing home is short-staffed.

“It’s a nice place to be,” Smith said. “It’s clean, and everybody is nice to you.”

Those who wish to support local nursing homes can do so by volunteering, applying for a job or asking their local representatives to support long-term care, Shamberg said.

Hempfield Manor Administrator Cyndie Wolf said nursing homes need support and increased access to care.

“This pandemic has made our jobs more challenging and adds to the burnout we all feel,” Wolf said. “While we remain resilient in sustaining care, I continue to see a growing need for access to resident care that can only be met if we have more staff.”