By Esteban Fernandez, Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Connie Ahrens put a second mortgage on her home to pay for her mother’s nursing home stay.
That’s how expensive it was. Prices for senior care being what they are quickly meant Ahrens had to look for other options.
“Skilled nursing is incredibly expensive,” Ahrens said. “My mom had some money, and she went through it so quickly in the private home. It’s just debilitating.”
While assisted living might only be $4,000 a month, skilled nursing is between $8,000-$12,000 a month. So when Ahrens moved her mother to the John Manchin Sr. Health Care Center in East Side, it was liberating for both Ahrens and her mother.
For one, the quality at the private home had declined to the point Ahrens was no longer satisfied with the care. By contrast, Ahrens said the Manchin Clinic was incredible. The clinic kept her mother busy with activities to keep her mind stimulated and the food was restaurant quality. Ahrens even saw improvement to her mother’s mental acuity. At the private home, her mother often looked dazed. At the Manchin Clinic, the opposite. She was alert.
Eventually, the time for Hospice care came in April. The clinic’s staff made sure to alert Ahrens and her family when it was time to say goodbye.
“They brought all of us dinner because they knew we were afraid if we left, mom might pass while we were gone,” Ahrens said. “That was just so kind. We were not charged for that. The next day, Friday, everyone from maintenance to the CEO came in with tears rolling down their cheeks, just to say goodbye to Mom.”
When news of the plan to privatize the Manchin Clinic broke, all this returned to the forefront of Ahrens’ mind. She questioned if any of this would be available for her when it was her turn to transition out of this existence.
