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Pioneer Memorial Rest Home
by Gerri Peterson
In order for Mullen’s Pioneer Memorial Rest Home to stay open, a Director of Nursing (DON), a night nurse and several Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) MUST be hired.
PMRH interim DON Nolan Gurnsey’s last day is March 23 and if a DON can’t be hired before then, the rest home will be forced by the state to close.
The Hospital District Board is holding a special meeting next Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 7:45 a.m. MT in the upstairs break room of PMRH, where the future of the rest home will be decided.
At the rest home’s public informational meeting held last Wednesday, Feb. 9 at the Lariat, Gurnsey said, “Area community members must step up and work in the facility. Work a day or two a week or month - long term, not temporarily.”
The rest home is struggling to fill three to four nursing shifts every week. Current staff members are working five to seven days a week, 16 hour days.
“Our team here has stepped up as much as they can and they are doing a great job,” Gurnsey said. “The residents here are very well cared for.”
Past and present administrators and board members have tried to recruit staff every way they can. But more people are leaving the nursing profession daily. Between COVID-19 vaccination mandates, the stress of having to wear PPE and more, healthcare workers are tired.
“It’s hard work, but so rewarding,” Gurnsey said.
If someone is a nursing assistant with an expired certification, the state will renew their license for $50.
Currently anyone over the age of 16 can become a temporary CNA with an eight hour online class, followed by testing and then training at the nursing home. This program may be expanded, but is currently only good through March 31.
An online CNA class has also been set up, beginning on Feb. 21.
If anyone is interested in any of these options, contact the rest home at 308-546-2216.
But while staffing is one part of the rest home’s concerns, so is revenue.
And the fact that the rest home building is old with updates needed in the near future - such as a new roof at the price tag of about $90,000.
Gurnsey said the money that was one time going to be used to build a new facility through a foundation is no longer available due to the investors’ money being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of last week’s meeting, the rest home had 17 residents and they are licensed for 30.
But while they have beds available, they cannot admit new residents without having a DON.
Because of their staffing shortage, the rest home is operating at over 50% agency, which means they are hiring traveling nurses through agencies and those agencies charge triple of what a local nurse would cost.
Just like everywhere else, the rest home’s costs have increased the last year too - around $100,000 more in both labor and supplies, according to Gurnsey.
Administration has applied for grants and continues to seek out other grant opportunities, but no grants help with the operations.
While the rest home won’t say no to financial donations, donors must be aware that the money will not guarantee that the facility remain open, but will be used to take care of the residents for as long as possible.
Jo Fuller of the Rural Health Developement also spoke at the public meeting.
“You are not alone here, she said. “I can’t paint you a rosy picture tonight. We are all suffering the same problem.”
Several Nebraska rest homes closed in 2021 and more are looking at closing this year.
Gurnsey said the rest home is losing around $50,000-90,000 a month right now.
“If you are looking at closing, sooner rather than later makes us able to give the staff a severance.”
Gurnsey said the possibility of closure has come up several times over the years.
“Closure will affect the grocery store, the school, families - and most of all it will affect the residents.”
“This is not anyone’s fault. It’s not a lack of effort from the board or previous administrators,” he said.
If you are interested in working at the rest home, call Lexa Morrison, Administrator, at 308-546-2216. If you have other ideas the board or administration hasn’t already tried, the Hospital District Board members can be contacted at: Dr. Steve Boyer 308-546-2431, Carol Wright 308-546-2464, Jill Buchfinck 308-546-2345, Nikki Gracey 308-870-3209, Terra Boyer 308-546-2333.