Island Nursing Home seeks town help as board cites staffing and funding shortfalls

Representatives of Island Nursing Home (INH) told the Stonington Selectmen in multiple meetings this spring and summer that the facility faces severe operating and staffing pressures and asked for town support while providing limited financial detail.

The board heard INH representatives Skip Greenlaw and Leon Weed present appeals for municipal assistance and housing support. Greenlaw and Weed said INH faces persistent deficits (discussed as roughly “a deficit budget of $500,000” in one meeting) and that the facility would need substantial funds to remain open for skilled nursing operations. At an August meeting INH board members repeated staffing and housing shortages as the primary reasons for closure risk and cited a figure of $700,000 as the amount needed to preserve nursing beds.

Selectmen did not authorize direct funding during the meetings in this transcript. Instead, town officials asked INH representatives for current, detailed financial statements and urged them to return with more documentation. Town Manager Billings and board members pressed for clarity about whether cited budget shortfalls reflect pre‑pandemic figures or recent inflation-adjusted operating costs.

Why it matters: INH provides a local skilled‑nursing option and its future affects elderly residents’ access to care and emergency medical planning on the peninsula. Local officials noted that housing availability—identified repeatedly as a barrier to hiring direct‑care staff—intersects with the facility’s operating viability.

What happened and what remains unresolved: INH representatives outlined the need for town engagement and suggested town‑level housing support could help retain staff. The Selectmen indicated willingness to consider requests but did not commit town funds without up‑to‑date financials and a formal town‑meeting request where required. Multiple Selectmen asked INH to provide audited or current financial statements before any article would appear on a warrant or a formal appropriation would be considered.

Next steps: INH indicated it would pursue petitions and further outreach to towns in the peninsula. Selectmen suggested INH representatives return to future meetings with detailed budgets and proposals for how proposed town funds would be used or secured. No appropriation vote appears in the minutes covered by this transcript.