Mired in a 40-year-old system it no longer believes is effective, the Missouri Veterans Commission is pushing to expand the offerings its nursing homes to possibly include assisted living.
The system currently is entertaining bids from third-party contractors to develop a “next-generation operating model,” a commission leader told McKnight’s on Monday.
The winning outside firm will be asked for recommendations on everything from revenue structure and reimbursement opportunities to appropriate census, levels of care and capital improvements.
“MVC is seeking options such as, but not limited to, adult day healthcare, assisted living, short-term skilled care, short-term palliative care, skilled long-term care, skilled memory care, skilled mental healthcare, and allowing spouses to admit to MVC facilities,” MVC Public Relations Director Aimee Packard told McKnight’s.
The commission’s request for proposal noted that the revenue model under which MVC is working hasn’t changed in at least four decades, but senior care clearly has. Veterans at the facilities pay a fixed monthly rate of $2,345 for room and care, meals and other personal care needs. Talks began last summer about increasing that fee.
“While nursing home care is an important part of the elder care continuum, the contractor must explore additional ways to serve veterans,” the RFP noted. “The contractor shall determine how to optimize the next-generation operating model through appropriate case mix, census, staffing and outside resources.”
The commission said in its RFP it wants to maximize federal and state funding to better serve the state’s elder veterans.
The panel is composed of state legislators and appointees of Gov. Mike Parson (R). Like much of the nation, it is challenged by staffing shortages that have limited its seven facilities to half of their capacity despite getting $50 million from the state last July.
The deadline to submit a proposal to MVC is Nov. 8. A pre-proposal meeting for potential bidders is scheduled for today (Oct. 26).
This article originally appeared on mcknights.com, the website of McKnight’s Senior Living sister media brand McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. Joe Bush is the staff writer for McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.
