Town hears renewed pleas as Island Nursing Home warns of unsustainable shortfalls

Representatives of the Island Nursing Home (INH) asked the Stonington Selectmen for municipal help after describing persistent deficits and staffing shortages that threaten continued skilled-nursing and residential care operations. At the Nov. 21 meeting, Skip Greenlaw and Leon Weed said the facility faced roughly a $500,000 shortfall and characterized the situation as unsustainable without outside support. The board heard similar pleas in later meetings and repeatedly requested more detailed, current financial statements before considering any appropriation or warrant article.

Town Manager Billings told the board staff had raised questions about whether reduced Medicare reimbursements and staffing costs could be covered by the facility. Selectmen and municipal staff discussed whether a town-meeting article could be drafted to authorize a one-time appropriation; board members asked INH representatives to clarify whether the stated budget gap was historical or included inflation and current-year costs. No town funding commitment was made during the meetings recorded in the transcript.

Board members and INH advocates also discussed nonbudget remedies, including recruiting new board members and potential housing projects to help attract staff. At least one board member asked that INH provide firm numbers and projections so voters could weigh a potential town-meeting request; INH representatives were asked to return with more documentation and a more detailed plan.

The matter remains in the information‑gathering stage: Selectmen repeatedly deferred a final vote and requested specific financial details and proposals before placing any funding question on a warrant. The board did not approve emergency funding during the recorded meetings.