Island Nursing Home board asks towns for emergency funding as staffing and housing shortfalls threaten beds

Representatives of the Island Nursing Home (INH) told the Stonington selectmen they need emergency town support and clearer plans after describing large operating shortfalls and staffing challenges.

The issue surfaced repeatedly through summer and fall 2022 when INH board members, including Skip Greenlaw and Leon Weed, briefed the board. At the Aug. 22 meeting, Greenlaw said staffing and lack of housing were the principal causes of INH’s instability and indicated the facility would need roughly $700,000 to keep any skilled-nursing beds in place. He asked the towns for support and described a budget shortfall that has left INH operating well below sustainable levels.

Why it matters: INH provides long-term residential and skilled-nursing capacity for island communities. Selectmen said that without a concrete financial plan and clearer operating numbers from INH, the town cannot commit taxpayer dollars. TM Billings told the board that a formal petition would be required to place funding on a town-meeting warrant and that the town needs full, recent financial statements to evaluate any request.

Board reaction and next steps: Selectmen repeatedly pressed INH for current financial details and questioned whether earlier budgets reflected inflation. At the Nov. 21 meeting, the board again heard that INH faced an approximate $500,000 deficit and that requests to the towns would need to be coordinated via petition. Town staff said they were awaiting more complete budget documentation and would not place an appropriation on a warrant without it.

Community context: Town officials and audience members noted housing shortages on the island as part of the staffing problem. Board members discussed coordinating a housing-focused meeting and working with regional partners; Linda Nelson, involved in local economic‑development efforts, has been tracking housing and workforce work streams with the Camoin resiliency planning project.

What was not decided: As of the final meeting in this transcript set, selectmen had not committed town funds to INH. The board asked for more financial detail from INH and said any appropriation would require a petition and a town-meeting vote.

Next procedural step: INH representatives were encouraged to supply up-to-date financial statements and a specific ask so the selectmen can evaluate a petition for a town meeting. The selectmen did not take a funding vote during the meetings recorded here.