With aging facilities, delinquent reimbursements, regulations and staffing shortages, LincolnHealth continues to evaluate all options to sustain nursing home care in Lincoln County.

The LincolnHealth board recently agreed to work with Sandy River Company to assess the possibility of building a new nursing and skilled nursing facility in Damariscotta. The facility would be run by Sandy River Company a highly respected, Maine-based senior care development firm. MaineHealth has worked with the company on several nursing care projects, including the recently built Summer Commons in Sanford and the soon-to-be-built home in Rockland.

This study was outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding and will last 180 days. The study was unanimously recommended by LincolnHealth board and MaineHealth boards.

“Unfortunately, many communities have lost local nursing care for various reasons,” said LincolnHealth Board Chair David Lawrence. “In some cases, residents in those homes were relocated two and three hours away from their loved ones. We want to keep our nursing care residents here in Lincoln County for years to come.

“This study will offer us important information in evaluating the option of doing things a little differently in order to preserve nursing home care in Lincoln County.”

Sandy River’s current model is to partner with an experienced and reputable organization that specializes in providing only nursing and skilled nursing care services. Along with being home to current Cove’s Edge residents, nursing care patients at St. Andrews Village’s Gregory Wing and Zimmerli Pavilion would also transition to the new facility.

Down the road, if a new nursing facility is built, patients and residents would benefit from its features, including private rooms and upgrades that simply cannot be done in LincolnHealth’s existing facilities due to physical limitations and prohibitive cost.

“This study continues an effort that began several years ago to find a solution to sustain these important services,’’ said Cindy Wade, President of LincolnHealth. “Since this model has worked in many communities, it’s important to evaluate this as an option.”

Wade noted that a decision of this magnitude will not happen overnight and nursing care residents, patients and family members can count on the quality care they’ve come to expect at LincolnHealth during this time. Regular updates will be shared as the study progresses.

“If the study concludes building a new facility will help us achieve our goals and we opt to move forward, there are many regulatory steps in the process,’’ she said. “It will likely take years for a new facility to come online.”