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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 11, 2005 Providence will close respite care program By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune For Tosca Mehl, Nov. 30 will be a black day. Providence Medford Medical Center will close its adult day health center at the end of the month. The center provides respite care for families that care for loved ones at home. Mehl’s adult daughter, who has cerebral palsy, visits the center two days a week. "We were shocked to hear they were closing," said Mehl, a Medford nurse. "It was such a wonderful service. I’m sad to see it go." Providence Medford decided the program is too costly for the number of people it serves, said Karen Bartalini, the hospital’s director of general and senior services. "We were investing significant money in the program," Bartalini said. "We weren’t getting the attendance we wanted. Advertisement "The real question is whether there are better ways to spend those dollars." Bartalini founded the program in 1994. She said attendance has varied over the years, but the program never supported itself completely with the fees it collected. The hospital made up the difference as part of its commitment to community service. There are about 30 clients these days, and daily attendance ranges from 10 to 12 people per day. Bartalini said the program needs 18 to 20 clients per day to break even. While attendance declined over the years, the hospital’s charity care load grew. Providence provided about $4.4 million in charity care in 2004, and projections indicate the cost of charity care will rise to $5.5 million in 2005. Closing the program was particularly difficult because clients would have nowhere else to go, said Dan Mackin of Ashland, a member of the "ethical discernment" committee that ultimately made the decision. "That was the big dilemma," Mackin said. "It’s a service that isn’t being provided anywhere else." There are several other respite care providers in Jackson County, but most are ad hoc or volunteer arrangements. The only other comparable adult day care provider in the region, Trinity Respite Center in Ashland, serves clients with dementia. Providence is the only provider that cares for clients with complex medical conditions. Adult day centers across Oregon often scramble to make ends meet, said Lynn Schemmer-Valleau, president of the Oregon Association of Adult Day Services. "It’s a constant struggle," she said. "It’s really challenging to keep a sustainable program, make it affordable, and pay staff a living wage." The Providence closure will probably mean more work for Trinity Respite Center, said Elizabeth Hallett, the program’s executive director, but she spoke of her concerns "for caregivers who are going to be challenged by not finding what they need in our program." Hallett said in-home caregivers save the state millions of dollars, but the state provides far too little support for respite programs. "If these people have to be institutionalized because their caregivers can’t care for them 24/7 it would cost a lot more," she said. "Is it really cost effective to not support in-home caregivers and adult day centers?" Mehl has three weeks to find a solution. "I don’t know what I’m going to do," said Mehl. "I know all the hospitals are getting tighter for money, and they have to close areas that aren’t making money, but it’s heartbreaking to see it go when there isn’t any duplicate service in the valley. "I’m not complaining," she said. "I’m just heartbroken." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail Providence will close respite care program ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Salvia Divinorum Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s