This Is the Nursing Home Our Legislators Wanted to Sell.

Genesee Nursing Home earns top ranking in U.S. report
Posted: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 12:00 am
Updated: 12:02 am, Tue Feb 22, 2011.

Genesee Nursing Home earns top ranking in U.S. report By Paul Mrozek pmrozek@batavianews.com The Daily News Online

Genesee County Nursing Home received the highest possible rating from a federal office’s review of all skilled nursing facilities in the United States.

Wyoming County Community Hospital’s nursing home received the lowest score, Orleans County an average one, according to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Results are available on the Internet website www.medicare.gov.

The criteria used to determine ratings was based on performance in health inspections, nurse staffing, and quality of medical care. All of the skilled nursing facilities in New York were evaluated in 2010.

Genesee County Nursing Home recorded a five-star rating with two health care deficiencies noted during the assessment period. Charles Rice, the facility’s administrator, briefly discussed the results with county lawmakers at the Feb. 16 Ways & Means Committee meeting.

The results are slated for publication in the magazine, “U.S. News & World Report.”

Health deficiencies are rated from 0 to 29; the higher the score the more problems there are that need to be addressed. The average for nursing homes in New York State is five deficiencies.

Genesee County was cited for not writing or implementing policies that forbid mistreatment, neglect or abuse of patients, or theft of their property. Its second deficiency was for failure to properly mark drugs in its pharmacy.

New York has 316 skilled nursing facilities. The 160-bed Genesee County Nursing Home, 278 Bank St., Batavia was one of 32 statewide that earned a top score.

“I was just so pleased,” County Legislature Chairman Mary Pat Hancock said Monday.

Hancock said although the Legislature has struggled with multi-million-dollar operating losses at the facility, the Legislature was always aware of the high quality of its care.

“We always appreciate it. I’ve been impressed with it,” Hancock said.

Rice, the facility’s administrator, could not be reached to comment Monday because of the federal holiday.

Fifteen of the state’s five-star nursing homes are in Western New York.

Blizzard of 66' Remembered

Daily News Managing Editor Mark Graczyk writes the column, "Mark My Words".  A recent column discussed The Blizzard of 1966.  It brought back many memories.

If the Blizzard of 1977 was the ''mother'' of Western New York snowstorms, the Blizzard of 1966 was her formidable older sister.

I've always thought that the blizzard of 66' was worse than 77'.  It hit over night.  I woke to hear my 4 year old son, J.D., say to his sister, "I can't see Decker's house.".  He was referring to the house directly across the street.  3 year old Sue answered back, "I can't see it.".
That was enough for me to check out what they were talking about.  Sure enough, the wind drifted the snow over our porch roof and covered the windows.  Not only could they not see Decker's house, they couldn't even see out the windows.
It wasn't long after that when my next door neighbor called.  We both had infants.  As a matter of fact, between the two houses we had a total of 10 children.  She asked if we could get out our front door.

On Sunday, Jan. 30. Heavy squalls and fierce winds overspread the area. What became known as The Blizzard of 1966 had arrived.

I checked the front door only to discover that the drifting snow filled in the front porch.  There was no way we could exit out that door.  While we talked, I checked the fridge and cupboard.  While I had some things stocked away, I knew we would need milk.  So would they.  She said she called the corner store and arranged to buy milk, eggs, and bread from them.  The store wasn't open, but they agreed to sell us what we needed if we could get there. 
Her teenage son was our hero.  He climbed out a window to the side door sidewalk then snowshoed to the store and brought back supplies to last us a few days. 

More than a foot of new snow had fallen Sunday and Monday and wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour created drifts of five to six feet on some roadways. Snowplows fought a mostly losing battle to keep them open. Highway department crews worked virtually around the clock, spending the night at the Mill Street garage or the Genesee County Jail

Our street was just behind Main St.  We could hear the plows fighting that losing battle.  It was obvious that our side street wouldn't see a plow for a few days. 

By Tuesday, Feb. 1, conditions had improved slightly, but schools and most businesses remained closed as crews ''punched holes'' through most highways to make them passable. Two New York Central trains were secured to transport stranded travelers back to their homes or their chosen destinations.

 Conditions also improved enough so sidewalks and driveways could be shoveled.  We still couldn't leave our street for a few days until the city plows finally got to us.  The front yards, on that street, are small.  Trying to find someplace to put the shoveled snow was an exercise in creativity. When we did get out, we marveled at the large banks of snow on either side of any street or road. We were driving through tunnels.


Perhaps the Blizzard of 77 was worse, but the kids were older and two of them were stranded at my parents' home.  That will be a story they can tell their children and grandchildren.  We, at home, were far more prepared than we were in 66' .  The kids and I had been at the grocery store that morning shopping for a birthday dinner for their father.  We stopped at mom's for lunch, the two older ones staying while I brought the little ones home for their nap.
The storm hit shortly after we got home.  
I was putting away the groceries when I heard Eric say to Bill, "I can't see Decker's house.".
Isn't that where I started this story?

You can read the entire story at:
http://thedailynewsonline.com/blogs/mark_my_words/article_5925373a-3594-11e0-aba9-001cc4c03286.html

Genesee Co. Airport - Good - Genesee Co. Nursing Home - Bad

My friend, Chris Charvella sent this letter today to those who are trying to save the Genesee Co. Nursing Home. I hope anyone who reads this will take action.
Thanks Chris for caring.

Our County Legislature has decided that spending $600,000 on a few new hangars at the county airport is more important than the care of hundreds of people a year at the Genesee County Nursing Home.

The county will be building an 8-bay hangar at the airport with sales tax money it has apparently been squirreling away just for this purpose. How many people will benefit from these new hangar spots, you ask? Eight. That's right, eight people who own their own airplanes will have the privilege of renting space from the county. Meanwhile, Jay Gsell an his merry band of misfits aren't willing to spend dime-one on the care of our elderly and indigent.

Until this point I have done my level best to maintain a tone of civility and promote honest discourse with the people at the highest levels of our county government, but seeing this story tonight has made me believe that it's time to take the gloves off.

We are witnessing hypocrisy in it's finest hour and I've had it up to my ears with the sort of intellectually dishonest legislative process that seems to be the norm here.

I need all of you, not just the CSEA members, and not just the folks involved in politics, but EVERY ONE of you to sit down for five minutes and write a letter to the Daily News in Batavia. It doesn't have to be long; believe it or not, a simple sentence will do the trick. As a matter of fact, let's try an experiment. I want you all to go to the letter submission page on The Daily News site, here's the link:

http://thedailynewsonline.com/forms/letters/

Now copy and paste the following sentence in the letter body field:

Airport: Bad, Nursing Home: Good

Throw in your name and click 'Submit.'

If you can do a simple thing like that to help keep the home public and affordable, I guarantee you that generations of Genesee County residents will thank you and so will I.

Sincerely,

Chris Charvella