Elderly Americans Without a Place to Go After Forced Retirement Home Shutdown

The pandemic has been hard on everyone. None more so, however, than elderly Americans. One challenging aspect of the times we find ourselves in is that nearly every business is short-staffed. We see this at restaurants, stores, everywhere. Unfortunately, this is true for nursing homes as well. Furthermore, these facilities have always faced trouble keeping sufficient staff. Covid-19 just added to the problem. Now, some nursing homes and retirement centers are having to shut their doors.

One such facility is the Island Nursing Home and Care Center in Deer Isle Maine. It was recently announced that the center would be closing for good. This is set to take effect in late October, however, some local leaders are trying to find a solution to keep the center open. Unfortunately, it is quite an uphill battle as multiple economic factors push the home to a breaking point. Island reports that available staff shortage and location have been challenging to deal with for years.

Sadly, many of the residents have few other options. The remote location of the facility offered assistance to a community with little resources. Since there are no other nursing homes nearby, residents might struggle to find a place to go and still be close to family. While the facility faced many challenges, the closure ultimately comes down to inability to find and maintain sufficient staff. This is becoming more of a problem for elderly Americans throughout the country. Hopefully, change will come before too many find themselves without a home. Read more about the nursing home closure here.

This story is one example of the difficulties many older Americans face. One of the biggest issues for this age group is insufficient retirement funds failing to keep up with rising costs. That is why we support a bill we call The Greatest Generation Benefits Act. This legislation would dramatically increase Social Security benefits for Americans over age 82. Learn more about this legislation and sign our petition here. Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.