Retirement News : Seniors : Assembly candidate praises plans for senior living center

Assembly candidate praises plans for senior living center

Date Added: 20-06-2005

CUBA — New York Assembly candidate Joseph Giglio, R-Gowanda, talked about health care issues in New York while praising the plans for Cuba Memorial Hospital’s proposed senior living center.
During a tour Wednesday, Mr. Giglio said New York needs to create scholarships and loan relief to help keep nursing teachers at local institutions to address nursing shortages. A press release from Mr. Giglio’s office said that New York ranked 27th out of all the states in the number of registered nurses per capita. Health care providers have also found that they are experiencing an 8 percent vacancy rate in nursing positions.
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) expects New York’s vacancy rate to rise to 24 percent, or more than 44,000 nursing vacancies by 2020, Mr. Giglio said.
While at the hospital, Mr. Giglio was also shown updated plans on the new senior housing facility.
Hospital officials estimate that the project could bring with it between 50 and 60 jobs. Chief financial officer John Ormond said construction plans for the facility is awaiting state approval. A ruling on the facility is expected within the next few months.
Mr. Ormond said the facility is different from other senior living centers because it is not set up like low-cost senior housing or other upscale facilities which charge high fees.
Some facilities charge a $100,000 or more deposit to gain entry to a long-term care housing complex in addition to charging monthly fees. Instead, the Cuba facility would require a deposit of around $1,000 and charge monthly fees based on service usage.
The proposed project will house more than 150 people and will be built near the hospital on West Cuba Road. The facility will be divided into two types of living quarters — assisted living and independent living, Mr. Ormond said. The assisted living complex will have six different types of apartment designs, while the independent living quarters will have 4 different designs.
Mr. Ormond said the project is not a low-income, government-aided senior housing project. The varying room sizes and service options will cater to people with different income levels, he said. “People want some flexibility in what they buy.”
New York has authorized eight such demonstration projects that allow one entity to run a housing community. Cuba Memorial will likely create a separate entity under the direction of the hospital, to run the senior housing.
The project will be funded by bonds through the Allegany County Industrial Development Agency. If the project moves ahead as planned, the senior housing project could be completed sometime in mid-2007.

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