FAYETTEVILLE -- Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney says the county is examining ways to keep the Van Duyn Nursing Home from closing down. In her State of the County address Tuesday night at Wellwood Middle School in Fayetteville, Mahoney said the county is committed to fully funding Van Duyn through 2009. She also says that if the state continues to cut funding at Van Duyn, as it did twice last year, then keeping Van Duyn open the following year would be much more difficult.
"With an uncertain future, people are afraid to take a leap of faith and work at the home. In addition, people that are looking for a place for loved ones aren't sending them there if they are afraid that the facility is not going to be there," Mahoney said.
The county is in the process of making some capital improvements to Van Duyn. Mahoney says the county will take all of next year to examine ways to keep Van Duyn open for the long term.
