Send help to keep evicted seniors safe
Pacifica Senior Living Santa Fe is a private business. The San Diegobased company can shut down and renovate, as it chooses. However, giving the 32 elderly residents and their families just 30 days to move — and failing to reach some families in the first round of notices — only makes the upheaval of a sudden move worse. Residents are supposed to be out by May 9. The company can do more to help in the transition, especially because so many of these residents are vulnerable.
Pacifica had offered one of the more affordable options for families who need memory and assisted living care for their loved ones. Homes with such services are in short supply and can be expensive. Finding affordable, safe options will take time. So far, little support is being offered to families. Pacifica did provide this advice in its letter: “The following resources may be available to assist you in identifying alternative housing and care options,” with links to the websites of A Place for Mom and Caring. Inadequate. The state of New Mexico — with its Department of Health and Aging and Long-Term Services Department — is stepping up as a resource to the families affected by the pending shutdown. All 32 residents need to be safely moved and settled, no exceptions.
Once through the crisis, residents could end up better off. The Department of Health has found the Pacifica facility to be “in non-compliance” with certain state regulations. The agency has been investigating, but the report remains private. It, too, is supposed to be released in 30 days. The investigation comes as residents, staff and family members associated with the facility have been bringing up concerns about the quality of care there. Several lawsuits are alleging negligence or wrongful death. Yet for its 32 residents, the prospect of not having a home still is frightening.
For families, mark Saturday on your calendar. Vista Living Care is sponsoring a caregiver day, hosted by the Memory Care Alliance. (Find details at https://www. vistaliving.com/events). The day begins at 9 a.m. at Santa Fe Community College and includes speakers, an “ask anything” panel and other resources for caregivers. Some 25 local memory care providers and nonprofits will have a presence at the event. Registration closes Friday evening, but people still can show up — “no one will be turned away,” the sponsors have said.
However, it’s unlikely that one day, as valuable as it is, will be enough to help families place their loved ones. Support from state agencies is being proactively provided to help people through the transition — and that’s the right thing to do. The Department of Aging and Long-Term Services’ ombudsman program, including the care transition team, is working the the Department of Health to help ensure residents’ safety, as well as provide relocation assistance if needed.
Before this happens again, though, it’s worth asking whether 30 days to vacate offers residents enough time, given the difficulties of finding affordable homes for elderly men and women who need help with daily living, especially if they have memory issues. The state must examine what’s required of caregiving institutions, and if necessary, strengthen requirements for notice to vacate and transition support.
This is a situation we’re sure Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will follow closely, too. She began her career working for the elderly, eventually becoming the first Cabinet secretary for the Aging and Long-Term Services Department before moving on to serve as secretary of the Department of Health. She, better than many, understands the issues facing long-term care providers and the people who need such assistance. These frail elderly and their families deserve all the support the state and community can provide. That way, all 32 people can find safe, affordable housing — complete with the care they need.