Graysdale reports higher census, sharp falls reduction and staffing savings as Talavera rollout and on‑site daycare begin

Greysdale Nursing Home reported measurable operational improvements to the Northampton County Human Services Committee on Nov. 1, including an increased census, a marked reduction in falls on a targeted unit and early cost savings from an agency contract conversion.

The presenter, identified in the meeting as the director of Graysdale Nursing Home, said the facility’s census for the year stands at 501 residents with a goal of 520. "We have 100 or 501 residents right now. Our goal remains 5 20, and we have steadily increased this year," the director said. Nursing hours per patient day (PPD) in September were reported at 3.2.

The director highlighted a performance improvement project on Tower 9, which recorded 40 falls in May and dropped to 10 falls in September after a multidisciplinary, no‑blame approach involving frontline staff. The facility trialed environmental and equipment changes — including shopping‑cart‑style walking aids and strollers, use of comfort items such as baby dolls for certain residents, creating soothing rest areas and improved shift‑to‑shift communication about residents who had been up during the night. The director said the team’s involvement was central to the reduction: "Getting them involved in doing that root cause analysis where they're part of thinking…has made a huge difference."

Greysdale also reported progress on staffing and vendor management. The facility converted long‑term agency staff (those with 500+ hours) to Talavera, a vendor with lower overhead, and said the conversion saved roughly $42,000 in its first week and has reduced reliance on higher‑paid travel nurses. The director said Talavera is recruiting local staff and the next step is implementing a master service provider (MSP) agreement to set lower, standardized agency rates. The director said a key technical challenge remains integration between Talavera’s app and the county’s payroll and scheduling system so open shifts display correctly to agency staff.

The facility opened an on‑site childcare program for employees and said the daycare is free for staff while current funding supports that model; officials are using the benefit as a recruitment tool. The director noted that overtime per pay period has dropped to approximately 40 hours on average from about 240 hours earlier in the year, and the facility is keeping agency costs down through the Talavera rollout and other operational changes.

Financially, Greysdale reported an $11,000 performance payment pending from an accountable care organization for keeping rehospitalizations low. Staff also noted routine administrative challenges with Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement timing: the Medicaid approval and payment backlog remains a systemic concern that the facility cannot control.

Committee members and public commenters praised the facility’s staff engagement and management approach. Several committee members described the management style as horizontally inclusive and credited frontline engagement for the gains in safety and staff morale.

Why this matters: the results illustrate how targeted quality‑improvement projects, vendor management and employee supports such as on‑site childcare can affect resident safety, staffing stability and operating costs at a large county‑run nursing facility. Committee members asked staff to continue reporting outcomes and to share the Affinity study with Greysdale leadership for comparison to recent changes.

Sources: remarks by the director of Graysdale Nursing Home and committee discussion during the Nov. 1 Human Services Committee meeting.