...Long Term Care: The Public and Private Funding Debate Long term care is a growing need within the United States. Currently the U.S. population is 318.7 million with the older population comprising approximately 43.1 million in 2012. This amount is expected to jump to 88 million by 2050. Currently, 1 in every 7 or 13.7% to be exact, of the population is an older American. This amount increased by 24% between 2002 and 2012. This amount is projected to increase to 79.7 million by 2040. With advances in healthcare and other factors, persons reaching 65 years of age have an average life expectancy of an additional 19.2 years. Note: Increments in years are uneven. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates and Projections. ----- Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 1980-2012, National Estimates by Age, Sex, Race: 1900-1979 (PE-11) ; 2012 National Population Projections Summary Tables, Table 2. Projections of the Population by Selected Age Groups and Sex for the United States: 2015 to 2060, Middle Series. (NP2012-T2), Released December 2012; and Table 1. Projected Population by Single Year of Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin for the United States: 2012 to 2060, Released December 2012. Long term care can encompass many different facets. In general it is a range of services and supports that are done to meet personal...
Words: 3849 - Pages: 16
...Long Term Care Options: Don and Mary When a loved one is aging or ill the subject of long term care is discussed with family over dinner, with a social worker at a hospital, with friends at a neighborhood social. The dilemma of Don and Mary is faced by millions of families. According to Spencer, Patrick and Steele (2009) older adults would prefer to remain at home, although given several options, most would prefer not to be cared for by family and friends. What long term care options should Don consider for Mary and himself? Don is put in the position of having to explore options for long term care for his wife Mary and for himself. Based on the description of Mary’s illness, it appears she is in the severe stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and requires total care of all functions including feeding, dressing, bathing (McSweeney-Feld & Oetjen, 2012, p71). People with Mary’s symptoms need the safe and structured around- the -clock care provided in a skilled nursing home facility. Don’s physical ailments have started to affect his ability to care for himself, although his mental faculties remain intact. An assumption is made that Don needs help in meeting some of his daily living needs such as meals, transportation to physician appointments, and probably the use of assistive living devices, such as a cane or walker for ambulation. While he could gain the assistance he needs from a home health aide and continue to live at home with some structural changes...
Words: 1555 - Pages: 7
...Long-term care is defined as medical or non-medical care provided to those who have chronic illnesses or disabilities. This care meets health or personal needs such as the activities of daily living. These activities include such things as bathing, eating, dressing and using the bathroom facilities. Care can be accessed in assisted living facilities, nursing homes, community or in the person’s home. Long-term care may be needed at any age. Long-term care may never be needed. Nine million men and women over the age of 65 will need long-term care this year. Twelve million will need care by the year 2020. Most of these individuals will receive care at home. Seventy percent of the elderly are cared for by family and friends. A study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that people who reach age 65 will likely have a 40 percent chance of entering a nursing home. About 10 percent of the people who enter a nursing home will stay there five years or more. (www.medicare.gov/LongTermCare/Static/Home.asp) Long-term care financing is a growing concern over recent years. The number of elderly Americans in proportion to the total population is rapidly increasing. Individuals need to plan well in advance in order to cover the burden that it places on individuals, families, and society. The average annual cost of nursing-home care in the US was $74,000 in 2005 and is projected to rise to $175,000 by 2020. This amount would decimate the assets of all...
Words: 1879 - Pages: 8
...require long-term services and supports. The CLASS program is effective on January 1, 2011. Working adults will be able to make voluntary premium contributions either through payroll deductions through their employer or directly Adults with multiple functional limitations, or cognitive impairments, will be eligible for benefits if they have paid monthly premiums for at least five years and have been em[ployeed for 3 of those 5 years Adults who meet eligibility criteria will receive a cash benefit that can be used to purchase non-medical services and supports necessary to maintain community residence; payments for institutional care are permitted. The amount of the cash benefit is based on the degree of impairment or disability, averaging no less than $50 per day CLASS is financed by voluntary premium contributions paid by working adults, either through payroll deductions or direct contributions • HOW DOES CLASS INTERACT WITH MEDICAID? CLASS will generally be the primary payer for individuals who are also eligible for Medicaid. The CLASS program gives working adults the opportunity to plan for future long-term care needs by providing a basic cash benefit to those who meet work requirements and have either functional or equivalent cognitive limitations. CLASS is designed to help individuals with functional and/or cognitive limitations remain in the community by purchasing non-medical services and supports such as home health care and adult day care. While...
Words: 751 - Pages: 4
...Baby Boomers and Long-Term Care Insurance As this generation of baby boomers ages they are faced with a glaring need to continue planning their future. Not only have advances in the medical field increased life expectancy. They also have prolonged the chances of living with a debilitating illness. Also the recent economic downfall affected the ability of children come to the aid of their parents when they are in need of home health or assisted living. A way for these aging baby boomers to plan their future is by purchasing Long-Term Care insurance, which will allow them to protect their assets. Even in this debilitated economy the cost of care in nursing homes in Florida is roughly $77,000 a year and its expected to increase to about $125,000 in the next 10 years. While the cost of home health is current about $45,000 and its expected to increase to about $72,000 in the next 10 years. As care becomes substantially more expensive, it is clear that one the benefits of Long-Term Care is to cover these costs in order to avoid being a financial burden to your children in the future. Long-Term Care insurance can protects you from having to rely on loved ones for care, while saving your loved ones the emotional and financial hardship that comes with being a caregiver. Not only does this type of insurance protect your family, it helps the insured preserve their independence. Another reason to strongly consider purchasing a Long-Term Care policy is that Medicare will not pay...
Words: 364 - Pages: 2
...comes to long-term care, it is widely known as a field of work that has a very high worker turnover rate. Many studies have been done in addition to extensive research to seek out what is causing this phenomenon and what can be done to fix it. Taking history into consideration, closing the gap in worker turnover and aiming to get higher retention rates will be an upward battle and will take new tactics and strategies to change the minds of those already in this particular field of work as well as make it more appealing to those not yet in it. According to research, the turnover rate in long-term care is a substantial problem, with rates ranging from 55% to 75% for nurses and aides and sometimes over 100% for aides alone. There are numerous sources of statistics indicating that there are many costs connected with turnover, comprised of “increased hospital readmission rates, high employee replacement costs, loss of productivity, poorer quality of care, a decrease in staff and resident morale, increased work stress, job dissatisfaction, increased accident and absenteeism rates, increased overtime costs, and resident and family dissatisfaction” (Mcconnell, 2010). Although new strategies and programs will mainly value and benefit the workers as an aid in increasing employee retention, it is also a good thing for employers to do to increase overall employee satisfaction. This will work together to uphold a stable workforce by decreasing employee turnover through better benefits and adaptable...
Words: 760 - Pages: 4
...Professional Development Paper Angela Carroll N502-DD1: Health Care Systems Module 3 September 12, 2014 Contributing Factors Related to Failure for Advanced Planning of Long Term Care In today’s society of advancements in medical technology, Americans are living longer which increases the need for long term care. Older adults make up the largest population of those requiring long term care. The current percentage of older adults over the age of 65 is at 12.6% and is expected to increase to 19.3% by 2030. The population of adults over the age of 85 is also expected to increase by the year 2020 (Sultz & Young, 2011). With today’s older adult more than likely being divorced or without children will lead to older adults not having family caregivers. This can also lead to an increase demand of these adults requiring the use of long term care facilities and services. Therefore, one must look at the reasons why older adults and their families overlook the concept of saving for long term care. As a society, what can be done to increase awareness for the need of advance planning? One must understand the definition of long term care. “Long-Term Care involves the need for assistance, including prompting, with activities of daily living” (Calmus, 2013, para. 3). One factor contributing to the lack of advanced planning could be that the majority of long-term care is provided by family members which do not require pay. This can therefore lead to loss of household income because...
Words: 2137 - Pages: 9
...signed in to law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act alters the insurance market in the United States, increases revenues from a variety of new taxes, expands public insurance and it declines private insurance coverage, mandates that residents have health insurance, decreases and reorganizes spending under the nation’s largest health insurance plan which is Medicare. It has been said that if the Affordable Care Act is implemented to its full power that it can have a lead in different health choices for the United States in the future. I begin by providing a broad outline of the Affordable Care Act’s key features to help guide the discussion of the bill’s projected effects. History of the Affordable Health Care Act The Affordable Care Act is a long, complex piece of legislation that attempts to reform the healthcare system by providing more Americans with affordable quality health insurance and by curbing the growth in healthcare spending in the U.S.. Reforms include new benefits, rights and protections, rules for insurance companies, taxes, tax breaks, funding, spending, the creation of committees, education, new job creation and more. Democrats and Republicans have been working to create laws that reform the American health care system for decades. Almost every President over the last century has proposed healthcare reform unsuccessfully. The Affordable Care Act, modeled after health care reform in Massachusetts, was the first successful...
Words: 1804 - Pages: 8
...Finance 4510 Exam Two Directions: Pick 10 questions and do a very good job of answering the questions. Essay Questions, not short answer. Reference each question, where you found your answers. Run a spell and grammar check. Discuss the uses of Life Insurance and explain how you would determine how much life insurance a family would need. Discuss the use of Disability Income Insurance and explain how you would determine how much disability insurance an individual would need. Name a category of individuals who might benefit from Disability Income Insurance. Explain why this category might need Disability Insurance. Discuss the use of Property and Causality Insurance and how this is used by a family or individual. Property and casualty insurance is insurance that protects against property losses to one’s business, home or car and against legal liability that may result from injury or damage to the property of others. This type of insurance can protect a person or a business with an interest in the insured physical property against losses. Auto Insurance policies typically cover you and your spouse, relatives who live in your home and other licensed drivers to whom you give permission to drive your car. The policy provides coverage for both bodily injury and property damage liability as well as physical damage to your vehicle. Auto insurance typically covers personal injury, medical payments, uninsured motorist, underinsured motorist, auto rental, emergency road assistance...
Words: 2750 - Pages: 11
...any four specific regulations related to long-term care and summarize them. 1. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration): Sets, regulates, and enforces the level of safety and health conditions in work place (Brown, 2017). 2. OBRA (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act): Sets the level that every nursing facility must achieve and maintain in the following areas; The rights of the patient, meeting and surpassing adequate levels of care, providing adequate employees to patient ratios, ensuring the patient’s needs are adequately met by the facility, adequate housing environment, regulation of compliance via survey participation, and enforcement of said regulations (Brown, 2017). 3. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC):...
Words: 760 - Pages: 4
...Implementing Electronic Medical Records In a Long Term Care Facility HCS/320 1/20/14 Dr. Patricia “Pat” Bird Introduction Implementing Electronic Medical Records in a Long Term Care Facility can be a big and trying change for anyone in the Health Care Industry. With the transition from traditional paper charts to everything being on a computer through a database can be very confusing and stressful for any and all employees whom have to use the program. However, with proper explanation, training, and communication it can be very easy to adapt to the Electronic Medical Record database, and it will save time and money over time when it comes to hours of writing in traditional paper charts. Electronic Medical Records also keeps a patient’s medical history and personal information safe and protected from outside sources. What are the benefits of switching to electronic Medical records? Two benefits would be the ease of access to medical records and increased productivity. These two benefits go hand in hand. Searching for information on a patient becomes so much easier when you eliminate the large paper files. Meaning the patient gets treated in a more prompt way. Also having electronica medical records makes it easily accessed by anyone that needs it at any time; saving time, energy, and money. Another benefit would be the electronic medical records are cost efficient. Yes making the switch from paper to electronic may be costly in the beginning. Buying the devices...
Words: 521 - Pages: 3
...Sentara Healthcare Benefits Packages Rodger Walker, Student # 4121227 American Military University Professor Jennifer Halsey Compensation and Benefits (HRMT 412) 06/22/12 Introduction I chose to use Sentara Healthcare as my subject organization for this paper. Sentara Healthcare is an acknowledged leader in patient safety and quality innovation. Founded in 1888 as the Retreat for the Sick in Norfolk, Virginia, Sentara has ranked for more than a decade among the nation's top integrated healthcare systems by Modern Healthcare magazine and is the number one most integrated health care system for the last two years (Sentara). Sentara, a not-for-profit health system, operates more than 100 sites of care serving residents across Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. The system is comprised of 10 acute care hospitals, including seven in Hampton Roads, one in Northern Virginia, nursing and assisted-living centers, a 3,680-provider medical staff, and three medical groups with 618 providers. Another reason I chose Sentara Healthcare for my subject is that the organization offers one of the most diverse and comprehensive benefits packages I have ever seen. Body Sentara offers a Flexible Benefit Plan (FBP) that allows employees to choose from numerous grouped plan options, or employees can pick and choose individual benefits. Employees have the option of choosing health coverage including medical insurance, dental insurance, or vision insurance. For other health...
Words: 1871 - Pages: 8
...Bailment The temporary placement of control over, or possession of Personal Property by one person, the bailor, into the hands of another, the bailee, for a designated purpose upon which the parties have agreed. The term bailment is derived from the French bailor , "to deliver." It is generally considered to be a contractual relationship since the bailor and bailee, either expressly or impliedly, bind themselves to act according to particular terms. The bailee receives only control or possession of the property while the bailor retains the ownership interests in it. During the specific period a bailment exists, the bailee's interest in the property is superior to that of all others, including the bailor, unless the bailee violates some term of the agreement. Once the purpose for which the property has been delivered has been accomplished, the property will be returned to the bailor or otherwise disposed of pursuant to the bailor's directions. A bailment is not the same as a sale, which is an intentional transfer of ownership of personal property in exchange for something of value. A bailment involves only a transfer of possession or custody, not of ownership. A rental or lease of personal property might be a bailment, depending upon the agreement of the parties. A bailment is created when a parking garage attendant, the bailee, is given the keys to a motor vehicle by its owner, the bailor. The owner, in addition to renting the space, has transferred possession...
Words: 1204 - Pages: 5
...CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES ★ ★ ★ What are Long-Term Care Hospitals? Most people who need inpatient hospital services are admitted to an “acute care” hospital for a relatively short stay. But some people may need a longer hospital stay. Long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) are certified as acute care hospitals, but LTCHs focus on patients who, on average, stay more than 25 days. Many of the patients in LTCHs are transfered there from an intensive or critical care unit. LTCHs specialize in treating patients who may have more than one serious condition, but who may improve with time and care, and return home. Services provided in LTCHs typically include comprehensive rehabilitation, respiratory therapy, head trauma treatment, and pain management. I’ve heard a lot about “long-term care.” Is this the kind of care that long-term care hospitals give? No. Long-term care usually refers to care that’s basically custodial (like help with feeding or dressing), even if there’s some health care given. Medicare doesn’t cover this kind of care, which can be given in your own home or in various kinds of facilities (like assisted living facilities). LTCHs are hospitals that give inpatient services to people who need a much longer stay to get well. ★ Do I pay more in a LTCH than in an acute care hospital? Generally, no. Under Medicare, you’re only responsible for one deductible for any benefit period. A benefit period begins the day you’re admitted to a hospital or skilled...
Words: 451 - Pages: 2
...Benefits In our effort to attract, retain and motivate competent employees while providing for recognition of, and reward for, individual ability and performance, CRST International, Inc. has developed and implemented a competitive compensation and benefits package. A summary of compensation structure, company-paid benefits and elective benefits are listed below. Compensation Structure All positions have a designated pay range based on its job grade. All job grades have a wage range that denotes wage minimum, midpoint/market value, and maximum monetary value. Wage ranges are also reviewed from a competitive standpoint by conducting a market analysis of benchmark positions. Non-exempt (hourly) employees are paid weekly while exempt (salaried) employees are paid semi-monthly. Both groups of employees are paid via direct deposit. It is the policy of CRST International, Inc. to grant annual merit increases on the basis of the evaluation of individual performance. Other salary adjustments may be recommended and approved for the purposes of equity, changes in job classification, promotions, etc. Company Paid Benefits Vacation Eligibility is dependent on employee status and period of service to the company. Vacation is earned by completing an anniversary year. For the first through seventh years you are entitled to 10 days, eighth through your thirteenth year you will have 15 days, and on your fourteenth year or more you will receive 20 days of vacation. Personal Time Hourly...
Words: 1772 - Pages: 8
