Legislation passed by the Senate today (May 12) will provide vital funding to nursing homes, personal care facilities and other senior citizens’ programs impacted by COVID-19 and allow them to continue providing essential services for the state’s most vulnerable population, according to Senator Scott Hutchinson, who supported the measure.
Senate Bill 1122 appropriates $507 million from Pennsylvania’s share of federal CARES funding to support a variety of programs and services for senior citizens and $31 million for a one-time grant program for volunteer fire and EMS companies. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.
“This bill provides essential funding for nursing homes and long-term care facilities as they work to meet the challenges created by COVID-19,” Senator Hutchinson said. “We need to get this support out to these facilities and the dedicated men and women who work in them. They are true heroes in these uncertain times.”
The $507 million in “Caring for Those Who Care for Us” funding in Senate Bill 1122 would be provided to:
- Nursing homes – $245 million;
- Personal assistance services – $140 million;
- Community HealthChoices managed care organizations – $50 million;
- Assisted living centers and personal care homes – $50 million;
- Adult day services – $13 million;
- LIFE (Living Independence for the Elderly) providers – $8 million;
- Residential habilitation – $1 million.
Pennsylvania has 700 nursing homes with approximately 80,000 residents, and more than 1,200 licensed personal care homes serving approximately 46,500 residents. As of today (May 12), residents of nursing homes and personal care homes have accounted for 12,130 of Pennsylvania’s 57,991 cases and 2,611 of the state’s 3,806 deaths associated with COVID-19. Another 1,724 cases have involved employees at these facilities.
Contact: Justin Leventry jleventry@pasen.gov