The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 9, 2003 Page: 6 of 28
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G
THURSDAY 9 OCTOBER 2003
THE CANADIAN RECORD
PART III or IV
"THE MESA
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the third in a
series of articles exploring the con-
cept of an assisted living facility in
Canadian—an idea that will be pre-
sented to Hemphill County voters in
a November 4 bond election. In this
series. The Record staff intends to
help inform our readers about the
need for a facility, the cost of its con -
Strliction and ongoing mainte-
nance—and who will pay for
it—and the impact such a facility
might be expected to have on our
community. We intend to ask and
answer as many questions as possi-
ble about the bond issue, which re-
quires a simple m ajority of voters to
approve. We also invite our readers
to submit their questions to lis by
e-mail at edi-
tor@canadianrecord.com, or by
mail at PO Box 898, Canadian, TX
79014-0898, or by telephone at
(806)323-6461. We will answer the
questions if able, or find the person
who can, if not. Letters to the editor
on the subject of this bond issue and
the need for an assisted living facil-
ity are also encouraged. Early voting
will extend from October 20-31.
Ballots will be available at the
Hemphill County Hospital business
office.
At about $2,200 per month, the
cost for basic services for the pro-
posed assisted living facility will
be about $26,400 annually, which
does not include extra costs for
common groceries,
pharmaceuticals, medical costs,
telephone and cable services or
any other fee-based amenity of-
fered at the facility.
For those people who do not
have savings or much in retire-
ment, affordability is a real con-
cern. This relatively high monthly
cost is causing angst among many
seniors. Most live on a fixed in-
come, with social security and re-
tirement as the only source, of
household revenue. According to
the Census Bureau, 29.1 percent
of the households in Hemphill
County received social security
income and 10.4 percent received
a retirement income.
Evan Evans with The Merri-
mac Group, Inc. said providing
supplemental funding for low-in-
come seniors is a necessity in an
assisted living facility, given that
the lower income population tends
to be more numerous in any demo-
graphic segment.
"It's like a pyramid," Evans
said. "Those who can pay every
month without help are at the up-
perendofthe pyramid. As you get
toward the bottom, those who
need financial assistance are
more."
Evans said most do not take
into account what they are paying
to stay at home, which is nearly
three quarters of the cost to live at
The Mesa. Living in the assisted
living facility would cut back on
HOUSEHOLD INCOMES 05 AND OVER IN PRIMARY SERVICE AREA [2002]:
ll.
Under $15,000 $25,000 $35,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $150,000 $250
$15,000 to $24,999 to $34,999 to $49,999 to $74,999 to $99,999 to $149,999 to $249,999 to $499
000 $500,000
999 and up
many costs, such as transporta-
tion costs for doctor's visits, gro-
cery costs (because meals will be
provided), and lawn and mainte-
nance costs, to name a few. The,
concept is to start spending down
as seniors age.
Household income alone is not
a true indicator of whether se-
niors can afford to live at The
Mesa, he said. One consideration
is the assets. If a senior moves to
an assisted living facility, the idea
is that consequently, they will sell
their home and many nonessen-
tial items along with it, producing
more available assets. These as-
sets, along with social security
and/or retirement are enough to
sustain the cost, Evans said. If
those assets run out, there are
government funded programs to
assist seniors, such as Community
Based Assistance (CBA).
CBA is federal and state pro-
gram created to help the elderly
age in place in their homes, said
John Stages, the long-term health
care case manager for the Texas
Department of Human Services.
The program extends to those in
assisted living facilities.
"It's basically an alternative to
being put in a nursing home,"
Stages said. "It assists the elderly
both physically and financially...as
long as it costs less than being in a
nursing home."
CBA provides skilled nursing
care in the person's home and aids
the person with day-to-day activi-
ties. However, if the cost for this
assistance amounts to more than
the cost to live in a nursing home,
the assistance is terminated.
A significant drawback to this
program is the waiting period to
be admitted. Stages said since the
CBA program depends on state
funds as well as federal funds,
money shortages and spending
cutbacks statewide have hindered
the admitting process.
"Everything is frozen [as of
September J |," he said. The state
is not creating any new openings
for incoming applicants, but
rather is filling vacancies as they
occur. Funding is determined
based on need.
"We've always had a waiting
list, but I expect it will get longer,"
he said. "As we get funds, we will
have more availability."
The program currently hosts
about 30,000 seniors, but the gov-
ernment hopes to cut that number
back, Evans said. Seniors should
start applying now and get on the
waiting list, whether the assisted
living facility is becomes a reality
or not. While government assis-
tance poses as one possibility for
financial assistance, the more
likely opportunity is local funding.
Considering the way the bond
works, Evans said, The Mesa is
going to be a self-sustaining and
revenue generating facility. Part
of the revenue will be set aside to
finance units for low-income
residents.
"The county will have a
first-grade facility with no debt
service and the ability to
Self-fund," Evans said. "[HCH]
will be able to provide funding in-
ternally while those people who
qualify for assistance are on the
waiting list."
After seven years, taxpayers
will have retired the debt on the
facility. The fees charged should
generate extra income to support
low-income residents as well as
sustain the facility, HCH Admin-
istrator Robert Ezzell said.
"Our intention is to provide 25
percent of apartments to make
available for the lower-income
resident," Ezzell said. "Because
we are funding this with general
obligation bonds, we won't have a
huge financial obligation hanging
over our heads for the next thirty
years."
The situation for HCH is
unique and promising, Evans
said. The facility will sustain itself
and generate enough revenue to
provide supplemental funding for
those in financial need. It may not
happen right away, but it will hap-
pen, he said.
"One thing is for certain. If
Aeeordino to the
Cenus Bureau, in
Hemphill County...
• The median household in-
come in 1999 was $35,456.
• 12.8 percent of individuals
65 and over live below the
poverty level.
• 21.7 percent of the 3,351
population in the county are
age 60 or above.
• Households with individu-
als 65 years and over is 26.6
percent.
• Householders 65 years and
over make up 12 percent of
the 1,280 households.
Hemphill County does not de-
velop an assisted living facility, it
is certain that no one will have,
availability to it," Evans said. "It
is going to make a difference for a
great number of people."
Q & A:
• Is there an age limit? Yes. Se-
nior housing is the only housing
entity that can discriminate on
age. The minimum age will be 62
and there is no maximum age re-
quirement.
• Will local contractors be able to
bid on the building project? Yes.
Anyone can bid if they are quali-
fied. The Construction Manager
at Risk will be hiring all the,
sub-contractors. Once we have
that in place we will be happy to
give him your name and number.
• How can I or someone I know
get their name on the list? If the
bond is passed, there will be a
process of taking reservation de-
posits on a first come, first served
basis. We will require a reserva-
tion deposit of $500, which will be-
come your security deposit when
The Mesa opens. It is fully re-
fundable should you change your
mind or circumstances change.
Hospital calls
town hall meeting
The Hemphill County Hospital District is
hosting a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. October 16
in the. City Hall auditorium to discuss issues
pertaining to the proposed assisted living facil-
ity and changing the hospital to a Critical Access
Hospital.
Critical Access Hospitals are defined as
small, rural hospitals. They are limited to a total
of 25 beds: 15 acute care beds and an additional
10 long-term care beds (swing beds).
The average length of stay in a Critical Ac-
cess Hospital cannot exceed 96 hours. Hemphill
County Hospital is designated as a sole commu-
nity provider status and has been for the past 15
years. This status is no longer beneficial to the
hospital as a decrease in inpatient utilization has
become prevalent, Christy Francis, chief finan-
cial officer at HCH, said. However the outpa-
tient utilization has remained steady.
Critical Access designation allows the hospi-
tal to receive reimbursements based on costs
rather than fees. It does not change any of the
services, but rather sets the district up on a dif-
ferent payment schedule.
The town hall meeting is a requirement for
becoming a Critical Access Hospital as dictated
by the Office of Rural Community Affairs.
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Brown, Laurie Ezzell. The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 9, 2003, newspaper, October 9, 2003; Canadian, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth220599/m1/6/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hemphill County Library.