Bean says the number of elderly people needing these facilities is expected to increase by 5,000 to 30,000 in the next two years. Bean is not alone. Although home health is a completely separate issue with its own set of problems, said Harold Armstrong of the state Department of Health, it can be a vital part of the elder care puzzle.
Home health can help a lot, too.
Although the number of companies operating in the home health industry has been capped at 81, the field has more room for growth. Few can afford such a bill. Even the state was finding it hard to pay its portion of Medicaid. The following year, the nursing bed moratorium was implemented. The Legislature has authorized the Department of Health to issue certificates of need for only 2,411 beds in the last 17 years.