Easterseals NH, which provides services for individuals with disabilities statewide, said in a statement Thursday that it will continue operations of adult day programs in Manchester and Rochester, as well as certain in-home services in Strafford and Hillsborough counties, following a vote by the organization’s board of directors.
The news comes a little over a week after Easterseals NH announced it would be ending the programs in 60 days due to financial struggles. That announcement has since been removed from the Easterseals NH news page.
Michelle Talwani, Easterseals’s chief communications and marketing officer, said in a statement to NHPR: “We had productive conversations with Governor Ayotte’s administration, Executive Councilor John Stephen and other community stakeholders about the importance of these services and the challenges involved in continuing them.”
“I’m pleased Easterseals has reversed its decision to cut these vital resources for older adults, caregivers, and families,” Gov. Kelly Ayotte said in a statement. “I thank Commissioner Weaver and the Department of Health and Human Services, Executive Councilor Stephen, and all of the advocates who voiced their concerns about cutting these services and came to the table to help find a solution.”
The adult day programs provide services for approximately 130 seniors, according to a statement from Easterseals NH. They provide memory and preventative care, socialization, healthcare and caregiver support on weekdays.
“[The adult day program] really helps keep many of our seniors from nursing home level of care, where they have to go into a nursing home if caretakers can't take care of them,” said Executive Councilor John Stephen. “It is a great quality program.”
Easterseals NH also announced that it would restore in-home caregiving that currently supports 73 clients through June 2027, using existing contracts with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
In its statement announcing the termination of programs Aug. 19, Easterseals NH cited workforce shortages, low reimbursement rates and low enrollment.
On Thursday, president and CEO Maureen Beauregard said in a statement that conversations with Gov. Ayotte, members of the Executive Council, and community stakeholders led the organization to: “reassess our decision to discontinue, and instead, seek a path forward with the state and other partners that allows us to continue providing these services while working to stabilize the viability of these programs.”
