During a forum addressing Pennsylvania's long-term care crisis, Auditor General Robert P. Casey commended Mercer County for its quality care of the elderly.

"Most nursing homes in Pennsylvania do a really good job," Casey said Thursday at the Shenango Valley Center for Aging and Geriatric Health in Hermitage. "They provide good care."

Although Casey is pleased with long-term care in the area, he said there is always room for improvement. That includes better training and higher pay for caregivers, which would result in top-notch care for the elderly.

"We've got a long way to go," he said. "The challenges faced here in this county are among the most difficult in the state."

The Pennsylvania Culture Change Coalition, a group formed by Casey, has created some solutions to improving long-term care. These ideas have been presented to Gov. Ed Rendell, whose Office of Health Care Reform will help.

Casey said the culture of nursing homes needs to become more welcoming to the elderly and their families. He believes that will force long-term care providers to think about their residents in a different way.

"They don't go there to die. They go there to live," he said.

Families who are forced to place their loved ones in a nursing home need to be assured that they are getting the best care possible, Casey said. He thinks that can be accomplished by improving the skills of caregivers and providing them proper training.

One hurdle that stands in the way is that Pennsylvania does not have adequate funds to distribute to every nursing home in need.

However, the state has been chosen as a finalist by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a three-year, $1.4 million program called "Better Jobs -- Better Care." Casey said this money could result in high-quality care, greater worker satisfaction and less staff turnover.

Casey's goal is to make Pennsylvania the best state in the nation in terms of long-term care. "We have an obligation in this state to do everything possible," he said.