Local nursing homes trying to recover after Covid-19 impact

HARRISBURG (WSIL) -- When the pandemic hit the U.S., nursing homes were one many industries affected. Now, a new survey says .

WLC Management Firm CEO, Scott Stout, manages 11 nursing homes throughout southern Illinois. He share with News 3 some of the challenges from the pandemic and how he's moving forward.

"We shed a lot of tears over the last years, because…we're--I'm going to start crying…we're dealing with human life," he says.

Stout says operating through the pandemic was one of the hardest things he's ever been through. He tells News 3 he and his staff leaned on each other for support, especially when they endured the passing of some residents.

"It's a human being, it's a human life and so to go through this and you see that you lose your residents, and you see the family members and just knowing that the life was lost away due to this horrible pandemic, it breaks your heart," he says.

Experts say nursing homes spent $30 billion on personal protective equipment and staffing in 2020, and the industry is expected to lose $94 billion because of the pandemic.

Stout says his facilities are recovering and hiring new employees.

"We're fortunate for that our staff that's here everyday and takes care of the residents and admire them and we've got applicants coming in as well applying for jobs that we have available," he says.

Stout says 95% of residents are vaccinated, but only 35% of his staff is vaccinated. Stout says he's doing his own kind of incentives to get more people to get their shot.

"We're trying to encourage our staff, we're not mandating it to get vaccinated. I've offered $50 per shot of the Pfizer or Moderna so if they get both shots, they get $100. I offered $100 for the Johnson & Johnson for them to get vaccinated," he says.

Stout also says some of the facilities were getting some new construction done before the pandemic and now they're finally starting those projects again.

One of those is a new back patio so residents can enjoy the outdoors.