10/28/2026
At Astoria at Rochester, we believe people deserve the opportunity to truly LIVE—to connect with others, participate in meaningful activities, build strength, and enjoy everyday moments. ❤️
When someone is ready to leave the hospital but cannot access the next level of care, those opportunities can be limited. Families face uncertainty, and hospitals face growing pressure as beds remain occupied by people waiting for placement.
Addressing the shortage takes more than opening beds. It takes skilled, compassionate staff and reimbursement that supports the actual cost of quality care.
How do we move forward as a community? By working together. Hospitals, nursing homes, families, healthcare professionals, and elected officials all have a role in strengthening access to care.
We encourage our community to learn about these challenges, share their experiences, and speak with state representatives about adequate Medicaid reimbursement and investment in the long-term care workforce.
Every person waiting for placement deserves care in a setting that supports their needs, dignity, and quality of life.
This is a community issue—and meaningful change will take a community effort.
Strong has about 1,000 beds. As of last week, 102 were occupied by patients waiting for long-term care placement. At Highland, 49 of the hospital’s 290 beds were occupied
“Almost 20% of their beds are occupied by individuals that should be in nursing homes,” Parrinello said of Highland. She said the patients and their families also face a difficult situation: “They don’t have a high quality of life when you’re stuck in the hospital versus in a long-term care facility.”
Parrinello said the Rochester-area hospitals are typically 90% to 95% occupied. When patients who are ready for long-term care cannot leave, she said, occupancy can rise above capacity.
“When we have incremental long-term care patients, those patients push us over to 110%, 120% occupied,” she said. “Which means we have patients in hallways, we have patients boarding in the ED, we have patients everywhere.”
Parrinello pointed to three broader challenges: fewer beds per capita, an aging population and Medicaid reimbursement rates that she said make it difficult for nursing homes to keep some beds open. She said the Rochester-Finger Lakes region has about 1.6 hospital beds per 1,000 people, compared with about 2.4 statewide and 2.5 nationally.
“It is very difficult to open beds if your revenue stream doesn’t cover the cost,” Parrinello said. “These are private businesses that need to be able to pay their employees, and if they aren’t bringing in enough money through their rates, they can’t pay their employees
