Following an earlier presentation by a firm wanting to bring a third nursing home to Grimes, county commissioners voted to request that the state allocate more Medicaid beds here.
Though the two nursing homes already here are averaging less than 60 percent occupancy, Cole Consultants T.J. Cole insisted that’s not the whole story. He told the court that for the county this size, if these two homes were doing a good job they’d be full . . . and they’re not.
Cole’s wife, Dot, explained there’s been a moratorium on Texas Medicaid Beds since the mid-80’s when nursing home owners convinced the state Department of Aging and Disability Service . . . DADS . . . to impose one.
There are several waivers available, she went on, including one for rural counties of less than 100,000 population and no more than two nursing homes already.
T.J. then admitted that even if Grimes is allocated more medicaid beds, that’s no guarantee the firm he’s representing will get them.
As soon as the county finds out if and how many new Medicaid Beds Grimes will get, the court will hold a special workshop to decide how to allocate them.
Watch this space.