Nursing homes might be closed

The management of Danbury Health Care Center as well as four alternative area nursing homes told a union representing their employees late Wednesday it is considering filing applications to close a facilities.Workers in Danbury as well as during West River Health Care Center in Milford, Long Ridge of Stamford, Westport Health Care Center as well as Newington Health Care Center have been but a stipulate given March 2011.A spokesman for a New Jersey-based management association HealthBridge pronounced member of District 1199, New England Health Care Workers, have not agreed to any meaningful concessions.Employees during West River have been locked out given Dec. 13, while about 200 patients have been cared for by replacement workers. Employees during a alternative four facilities continue to work under a lapsed contract."The affiliated illness care centers have been dealing with a effects of a massive 11.1 percent cut in Medicare reimbursement which took effect upon Oct. 1, as well as a potential one more 5 percent cut from a end of group therapy, as have been all skilled nursing centers in Connecticut," association spokesman Ed Remilard pronounced in a press release. Michelle Baricko, upon a picket line Thursday in Milford, pronounced a hazard to close West River as well as a alternative nursing homes might be a ploy, "but I didn't think they'd lock us out, but they did that. "The $700 a month (that workers have been being asked to pay) for illness insurance is like two paychecks," she said. "Most of us have been single mothers as well as our biggest fear is not being able to put food upon a table for our kids."Union president David Pickus pronounced in a letter to HealthBridge attorney Jonathan Kaplan upon Thursday which a company's explain to be negotiating in good faith is untrue, given it has barely budged from its original "take it or leave it" offer. Union spokeswoman Deborah Chernoff pronounced Thursday a company's letter "is zero short of extortion. They have been land a care of 1,200 people hostage." Talks were scheduled for Feb. 23 as well as 29 prior to a association suggested it might apply to close a five facilities. Those talks will expected go forward, Chernoff said. "But we have been confused whether we're going to be negotiating over closure or for a new contract.''The routine of shutting a nursing facility can be lengthy as well as complex. The association contingency file a certificate of need with a state Department of Social Services, a public hearing contingency be held as well as a association would have to infer which there have been sufficient beds in a state to accept their patients, officials said.Libor Jany contributed to this report. fjuliano@ctpost.com; 203-520-6986; http://twitter.com/frankjuliano Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

Nursing Careers