LEWISTON – Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice has laid off seven employees as a result of cuts in Medicare.

All of the employees who lost their jobs held administrative positions in the home care department, said Dave McDaniel, president and CEO of the Lewiston-based agency.

Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice provides home care, supportive care and hospice care to people in Androscoggin, Franklin, Oxford and northern Cumberland counties. It employs about 465 people.

Both the hospice and supportive care programs are growing. In fact, McDaniel said, the agency is adding staff to those departments.

The story in the home care department, which provides services to seriously ill people who are homebound under a physician’s orders, is different.

Cuts in Medicare reimbursements and changes in the federal funding program gave the agency no choice but to look at ways to trim the administrative staff, McDaniel said.

“Our main goal is stay focused on our mission,” he added.

For Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, that meant making choices that wouldn’t affect the nurses, health aides, social workers and others who have direct contact with the patients.

The positions that were cut included a director, a supervisor, a marketing employee and other support staff.

McDaniel met with entire staff at the end of September to explain the situation. The layoffs occurred the first week of October.

Copy the Story Link