Committee hears pitch for transfer of 50 beds

Samaritan Keep Home, which has managed Jefferson County's adult home on Coffeen Street for 14 months, recommended Tuesday that the county attach its 50 beds to a proposal under consideration by the state Department of Health.

"My recommendation is that the county continue to run Whispering Pines adult home and transition the adult home beds that are there into the Community Assisted Living Corp. project so that you have multiple levels of care within the same facility," said Richard A. Brooks, Samaritan Keep Home administrator.

Community A.L. Corp., a Watertown nonprofit group, applied to the state for 40 assisted-living beds and 31 enriched housing beds for Jefferson County. The state will decide on the proposal by this summer. That proposal doesn't include the 50 beds at Whispering Pines, but those beds are already licensed and would not need additional state approval.

If Community A.L. were to get those 50 beds, Whispering Pines would be closed.

Mr. Brooks, a Community A.L. board member, said his recommendation is contingent on the nonprofit receiving approval for its proposal.

"I don't think the county should phase out unless there's something to put in its place because those beds are critical to the community," he said following the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee meeting.

Lawmakers have been mulling the long-term future of the county's adult home for several years as costs there continued to exceed revenues. An August 2006 consultant's report offered five options for the home: close it, sell or transfer its ownership, contract with a nonprofit to manage it, reduce services but continue operations or make no changes. Legislators have ruled out only the last option.

Jefferson County has lost adult home beds with the closure of the Thousand Islands Home for Adults, Alexandria Bay, and Adirondack Manor, Mannsville, last year.

It also has gaps in the types of elderly services offered.

Adult home residents are more independent and require fewer services than those in skilled-nursing facilities, such as Samaritan Keep Home. If a Whispering Pines resident required more help, that person could relocate to assisted-living care. But since the county lacks assisted-living beds, residents are faced with moving out of county or accepting more intensive services than they need.

"From the hospital side, we end up taking care of people who could be given a lot lower level of care," said Mr. Brooks, which unnecessarily exhausts hospital resources.

Much of Community A.L.'s proposal remains undefined.

Mr. Brooks said the group had looked at several sites for its facility. He mentioned two Tuesday: adjacent to Ives Hill Retirement Community or behind Samaritan Medical Plaza.

Donald C. Alexander, Community A.L. spokesman, has previously said the group has not decided if it will build one facility or one central facility with satellite locations. Mr. Alexander, also Ives Hill Retirement president, will provide more details to legislators about the proposal at a 6:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday in the former Jefferson County Courthouse, 195 Arsenal St.

Legislator James A. Nabywaniec, Health and Human Services chairman, asked if Samaritan Keep Home would consider continuing to manage the home while the state considers Community A.L.'s proposal. The management agreement expires June 30.

"I think everyone is happy with the way Samaritan has managed the facility, and we'd like to continue it," said Mr. Nabywaniec, R-Calcium.

Mr. Brooks said the Samaritan Keep board likely will be willing to discuss extending the arrangement.

Lawmakers were quick to note that no changes to residents or the home's 25 employees would happen immediately.

"It's not like something is going to happen at Whispering Pines tomorrow," said Legislature Chairman Kenneth D. Blankenbush, R-Black River. "We're looking at 2011, maybe 2012" if the Community A.L. proposal were approved.

The county will have ample time to negotiate a financial assistance package with the nonprofit if plans move forward.

"Absolutely," said Mr. Nabywaniec, of the county contributing to the nonprofit. "During the transition period, it's reasonable to expect that county would have to."