Video: Nursing Home Demands Expected To Rise

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NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)– Nursing homes play a vital role in the care of our elderly across the nation. As our baby boomers grow older, the need will only expand.

“They’re coming of age and needing nursing home care. The sheer numbers are going to place it where there will be more and more demand for nursing homes and long-term and assisted living. We’re going to have to rise to the occasion to provide that care,” said Danny McKay, Hospital Administrator at Noxubee Medical Complex.

Residents born between 1946 and 1964 make up more than 38,000,000 people in our country. Meaning not only will nursing home demands increase, but also the cost.

“It’s probably between $5,000 and $6,000 a month for just about for any nursing home care. And if you think about it, the monies that were made to save in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s won’t last long because no savings account is going to last at $5,000 to $6,000 per month,” said McKay.

Workers at Noxubee County Nursing Home believe that’s why quality matters now more than ever.

“I always have the concept of the Mamma test, that I call it here and what would you do if it was your mother. And that usually answers 99.9 percent of the questions about what care or what route we should take,” said McKay.

“Our staff, they feel that our residents are our family. And they love them like family. And that is another big difference that sets our nursing home apart from the others. Our nurses, I watch them everyday and the love they show to their residents is the main thing that sets us apart,” said Kristy Taylor, MDS Coordinator at Noxubee Co. Nursing Home.

Advocates believe the stigma associated with nursing homes will likely decrease as more people eventually call them home.

“99 percent of the nursing homes in the state and in the country for that matter do a very good job of taking care, it’s the 1 percent that don’t do a good job that people think of,” said McKay.

Most nursing homes have nursing aides and skilled nurses on hand 24 hours a day. Some will let couples live together. They’re not only for the elderly, but for anyone who requires 24-hour care.