...Continuum of Care- Long-term Care Long-term care has and is continuing to become an important part of the continuum of care. Years ago Long-term care (LTC) was considered only to be for the elderly, but as time passes it is for anybody and everybody who needs it. Barton (2006) stated, “Regardless of the length of time (i.e., from weeks to years), long-term care is an array of services provided in a range of settings to individuals who have lost some capacity for independence due to injury, chronic illness, or condition” (p. 367). According to Barton (2006), it states that the services long-term care provides help the consumer with basic needs and shows the individuals how to do daily living activities, along with therapy and being able to manage their conditions. Today long-term care is serving consumers of all ages in home, community, and institutional settings (Barton, 2006). Long-term care has contributed to the continuum of care tremendously because it is offering an array of services for consumers in different places and not just focusing on one specific population. In the last few years long-term care has become more of a need for more than 12million people in the United States, and out of these 12 million people, five million of them are nearly disabled (Barton, 2006). Barton (2006) stated, “a significant proportion of people needing long-term care-nearly half –is younger than 65: 40 percent are working age adults and about 3 percent are children younger than age 18”...
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...contains three empirical papers on important health policy issues. The first paper looks at the effect of changes in levels of Medicare home health care services on the informal care use of disabled, older adults. I estimate two-part models of informal care use, where the key independent variable is a measure of Medicare home health payment restrictiveness. Individuals who lived in states with less Medicare home health care services increased their use of informal care, although this effect is only observed among low-income individuals. The second paper assesses the effects of changes in employment incentives on the supply of informal support from adult children to their disabled, older parents. This study focuses on one specific form of informal support, co-residence with a disabled parent. I compare changes in co-residence patterns between 1990 and 2000 across groups of middle aged women whose co-residence patterns were arguably comparable, and who experienced very different changes in employment incentives. Results from difference-in-difference models provide support to the hypothesis that increasing employment incentives reduces the supply of informal support to disabled parents. The third paper looks at the effect of education on health status. This paper builds on the extensive research literature on this topic by measuring health in terms of the number of Quality-Adjusted Life Years experienced by individuals over an extended period of time. This measure captures overall health...
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...When it 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...
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...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...
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...Abstract This paper will explore the long term care system in the United States focusing on the elderly. Understanding aging and the effects it shall have on the long term care industry is important for our society, as the numbers of the elderly are increasing. This paper shall also identify problems in the current long term care system that can cause risk to the elderly such as financial burdens and inadequate care. It will address the long term care professions and job opportunities available as well as give information needed for long term planning. Changes and needs to the long term care delivery systems will be addressed. In conclusion this paper will educate on the elderly needs for long term care and the best way to plan for their future. Long Term Care Systems in the United States When one contemplates the long term care system in the United States, the first thing one must do is understand the importance of aging. In the not so distant past, it was not uncommon for infants to die due to poor nutrition and infectious diseases, nor was the life span as high as it is today. The increasing number of elderly in our society, due to the “baby boomers and longer life spans,” and the changing patterns of activity among them, have led to new assumptions on how their needs and wishes govern the organization of long term health care. When thinking about long term care we must evaluate our rate of growth of the elderly. Statistics show that the population of 80 years or older...
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...Long-Term Care Long-term care is vital in the United States health care system. As the population ages, more people will need assistance to recover from illness or injury, and others will need end of life care to ease their passing. People who use long-term care are all ages. From young to old, people can receive it if they cannot care for themselves because of a condition, an illness, or an injury that requires assistance for a period of 90 days or more. The concern people face when looking at long-term care is the funding. Medicaid will likely be drained of funds long before the country’s aging population is past its peak and while there are some options of insurance coverage, not everyone may afford them. There has been development since the 1980s of government programs to assist those needing long-term care in locating the services that fit their needs best. A couple of centers created are the Administration on Aging (AOA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC). The purpose of these centers is to help people of all ages, disabilities, and income levels to more easily access long-term services and support and transition among various sites of care, make more efficient use of care options, and maximize available services (O'Shaughnessy, 2011). These organizations help so that where ever people enter the system, they find direction to what services best meet their needs. These organizations are state run...
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...Long-Term Care Phyllis E, Adams HCS 490/Health Care Consumer: Trends and Marketing March 31, 2014 Dr. Eboni Green Long-Term Care As the “baby boomers” reach retirement age there will be many questions raised concerning how our society will sustain certain systems that support the current and future retired population. With newer health initiatives people are living longer and in better health than in the past. The irony is that this is one of the dynamics that will put a strain on our economic and healthcare systems in the future. “Today, 40 million people in the United States are ages 65 and older, but this number is projected to more than double to 89 million by 2050” (Jacobsen, Kent, Lee, & Mather, 2011). It is not easy to say who will and will not prosper during this time. Supplemental programs like Medicare and Medicaid were developed to assist the low income citizens with medical care cost. Will Medicaid and Medicare cover costs for long-term care? Can the low-income aging population afford long-term care, or will they have to depend on family for support? Will there be an adequate number of medical professionals to address the medical needs of the aging population? Are the “baby boomers” financially prepared for retirement needs? Will our supplemental programs be depleted in the near future? These are a few of the questions surrounding this issue that I will attempt to address in this paper. Long term care is a term often associated with medical care...
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...THE DEVELOPMENT OF LONG-TERM CARE Mr Rueter/HSA1100 February 26, 2013 This paper is on the development of long-term care. It will explain the meaning of long-term care and the effects of the Great Depression and World War II as well as the Social Security Act which all contributed to the way long-term care is managed today. LONG-TERM CARE Long-term care (LTC) generally refers to a variety of health and human service programs for people with physical, developmental or mental conditions who need care for an extended period of time. Many people who need long-term care develop the need for care gradually. Care needs often progress as they age or as their chronic illness or disability becomes more debilitating, causing them to need care on a more continual basis, for example help using the toilet or ongoing supervision because of progressive conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. Some people in long-term care facilities are there for a short period of time while they are recovering from a sudden illness or injury, and then may be able to be cared for at home. Others may need long-term care services on an on-going basis. Some may need to move into a nursing home or other type of facility-based setting for more extensive care or supervision. Long-term care services can be delivered in a variety...
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...necessity for long-term care is increasing which will require additional training and education for health care personnel, family members, and patients. Family members can have peace of mind knowing their family member will gain confidence in learning how to become accustomed to his or her new life while maintaining a quality continuum of care during and after treatment for physical, mental, or age associated illnesses. Long-term care is also known as personal assistant services and is defined as an individual who requires health care assistance for more than 90 days. Personal assistants provided to a patient help them with the activities of daily living (ADL) as well as instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). These activities may include personal care services like bathing, doing household chores, and other activities to help the patient remain independent while still residing in or near his or her home while maintaining the quality of care the person is accustomed to if there are no medical hindrances preventing it. Long-term care also includes community services, such as meals, adult day service programs, and transportation services (Austin & Wetle, "The long term care continuum, Who needs long-term care?," 2012). Residential facilities, such as skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities, also provide long-term care services along with housing ("National Clearinghouse For Long Term Care Information,” n.d.). Continuum of care services are utilized...
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...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...
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...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...
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...Hospitals and Long-Term Care Facilities Glennis Bogard Dr. Angela J. Smith Health Services Organization – HSA 500 February 17, 2011 Abstract Hospitals can be set up as nonprofit or for-profit facilities. The differences between the nonprofit and for profit hospitals will be discussed. Hospitals have experienced different trends in the last thirty years. This paper will identify at least three major trends that have occurred within the hospital sector. Three examples that describe and differentiate the roles of hospitals and nursing homes are providing long-term care. The conclusion of this paper will be a brief critiquing of the current state of long-term care policy in the United States. Hospitals and Long-Term Care Facilities Describe the differences between nonprofit and for-profit hospitals. A characteristic as stated by Williams and Torrens (2008) of nonprofit hospitals is that these hospitals do not function under the realm of regular corporate law but under a special provision of the corporate law in each state. It is also noted that nonprofit hospitals also function under special federal and state tax provisions because of recognition of their community service function. Other characteristics of nonprofit hospitals are they do not have owners and their governing body is a community based board that has complete authority over operations. Nonprofit hospitals, in general, are not required to pay most of the taxes at federal, state and local levels...
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...else to help with physical or emotional needs over an extended period of time, this is long term. There are many benefits to long term care, and such needs may be required for many of the activities or needs that healthy active people take for granted and may include such things as walking, bathing, dressing, using the bathroom, feeding, meeting doctor’s appointments etc. This type of help might be due to a terminal condition, disability, illness, injury or the infirmity of old age. The need for long term care may only last for a few months or weeks or it may go for years. Some of the types of temporary long term care which may be for only weeks or months are rehabilitation from a hospital stay, recovery from illness, injury, surgery or terminal medical condition. Ongoing long term care may go for many months or years such as chronic medical condition, severe pain, permanent disabilities, dementia, ongoing need for help with activities of daily living. Long term care services may be provided in home of the recipient, in the home of a family member, at an adult day services location, in assisted living, hospice facility, or nursing home. Long term care is typically funded using a combination of sources included but not limited family members, Medicaid, long term care insurance, and Medicare. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_care Health Canada. Long-Term Facilities-Based Care. Accessed 3 January 2012. World Health Organization. Ageing and Life Course...
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...Long Term Care Options: Paper 1 Don and Mary Long term health care and end of life care is a reality that is usually inevitable. “Research shows that at least 70 percent of people over 65 will need long term care services at some point in their lifetime” (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2012). There are many decisions that people must make in the event. Don and Mary are a married couple who have to make that decision. Don and Mary served together in the military. After the military they both made careers for themselves. Now they are retired and enjoying life traveling and spending time with family. However, now Mary has developed a disease called Alzheimer’s that has left her with a limited memory and sundowner’s syndrome. Her husband Don cared for her initially but is unable to due to health care challenges he is also facing. The couple is also experiencing financial issues as their retirement fund is dwindling down. They are unable to completely pay for their at home care which has led the couple to seek financial help from family members. Don and Mary now need to come up with a plan for their elderly care. Decisions need to be made about the type of care needed, the availability and financial options. The first decision that needs to be made is the type of care that is needed for both of their conditions. Don has physical needs that leave him unable to care for himself. Mary has Alzheimer’s disease that requires around the clock attention. Don and Mary’s...
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...The Long-Term Care System is constantly changing; action is necessary not only for the future elderly population, but also for those currently in need, both under and over age 65. This research paper will mainly focus and point out two main concerns within the long-term care system. First issue will be discussed on how to develop a vision of a better, more responsive long-term care system and the policies to promote it. Then the second issue will clarify on financing and delivery options. Services are provided including adult day care centers, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospice and Home Health Care. Adult Day Care is used to relieve the caregiver usually their son or daughter from or his or her duties for the day while ensuring...
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