Champaign County estimated to be short more than 300 nursing home beds by 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill (WCIA) — New research shows Champaign County will be out of nursing home beds in two years.

Advocates for Aging Care and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District conducted a needs assessment this year. They found the 65+ population has grown by 67% in the last 20 years. That will be bring a unique set of challenges to the area.

They also looked at the need for skilled nursing beds. What they found confirmed their fears.

“And we they started saying to each other, I’ve got to put my husband in a skilled nursing facility, but there’s nothing available locally,” said AAC coordinator Cathy Emanuel. “And we heard this over and over again. And then because I had worked in health care, I went and talked with each of the hospitals. And each of the hospitals said to me, we’ve got a problem in terms of having enough access to skilled nursing beds in our community.”

They estimate Champaign County will have a shortage of 337 beds by 2026. Both the AAC and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District are continuing to work together to find solutions.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.