CEO Charlie Runyon Featured in Roc 55 Plus Magazine

St. John’s President and CEO Charlie Runyon was recently featured in 55 Plus Magazine’s January-February issue speaking about a topic for which he is very passionate. One of the magazine’s cover stories, Who Will Take Care of Baby Boomers?, focused on the state of the senior industry and what changes are needed to face the future.

Runyon spoke with Deborah Jeanne Sergeant about the current healthcare system, including staff shortages and a growing need for care for aging adults.

Sergeant writes, “The oldest baby boomers are 77, meaning the largest swell of boomers in long-term care is yet to come. In just a few years, many, many more people will need care in a setting where staffing to meet legislated minimums is already nearly impossible.”

“The New York state workforce in nursing homes is aging almost as quickly as the population,” Runyon says. He notes that although the employment shortage and growing budget cuts are challenges faced by the majority of Upstate New York’s long-term healthcare organizations, there are some bright spots.  Runyon says “[employees] who are here have made a commitment to caring for elderly folks [and] do an absolutely great job under very difficult circumstances.”

As a solution for the future needs of aging older adults, Runyon also mentions St. John’s Dementia Resource Center’s respite program, which is now up and running and provides free respite to local caregivers. This program enables St. John’s to better meet the needs of the growing population of people living with dementia and their caregivers in Rochester.

You can learn more about long-term healthcare in Upstate New York, as well as Runyon’s full interview, here.