The Continuum of Long-Term Care Essays

The Continuum of Long-Term Care Essays The Continuum of Long-Term Care Essay The Continuum of Long-Term Care Essay The Continuum of Long-Term Care Lukita Wilson November 28, 2010 David Olsen Long-Term Care A variety of services that provides medical and non-medical needs toward individuals who are suffering from chronic illness, disability or old age is known as long-term care. Long- term care meets the needs of individuals who are no longer able to do many activities, which include bathing, dressing, cooking, and using the bathroom. This year, about nine million men and women over the age of 65 will need long-term care (Medicare. ov). By 2020, 12 million older Americans will need long-term care. Most will be cared for at home; family and friends are the sole caregiver for 70 percent of the elderly. A study by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services says that people will likely have a 40 percent chance of entering a nursing home will stay there five years or more (Medicare. gov). The goal for long-term care in the twenty-first century is to be organized as an eff icient, coordinated continuum of high-quality care (Evashwick, 2005). According to Evashwick and Rundall continuum of care is defined as more than a collection of fragmented services; it is an integrated system of care. Therefore, in order for long-term care to provide an quality of care, each services provided must work together as an organization. Managing Health Care Resources for Long-Term Care In order for long-term care to continue providing services they have adapted to change during the last decades. The organization has created different ways of providing services to individuals, especially now that a lot of ndividuals are at a certain age and they know exactly what type of service they want. Long-term care consumers want to maintain their current lifestyles and increasingly willing to shop around for providers who can accommodate them (Pratt, 2004). They want to receive care at home whenever possible, resulting in more demand for home health care and other home based services. Their desire for a homelike environment even when institutionalize d has led to assisted living, congregate housing, and other similar modifications of the more traditional types of long-term care (Pratt, 2004). Long-term care have noticed competition from other providers such as hospitals that would like to capitalize on such services because they are trying to survive, so they have decided to change certain aspects (Pratt, 2004). The changes in the system have also created new opportunities for those long-term care providers clever enough to see and take advantage of them. They must decide whether they should compete by themselves or join forces with others to strengthen their strategic position (Pratt, 2004). Long-Term Care Services Individuals that need long-term care in some point in their life have many options to choose from that will not interrupt their independence to a certain aspect. there are many programs that can be found in the community such as adult day service centers, transportation services, and home care agencies. Also, there are other providers that needed when the individual has certain medical needs such as assisted living, continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) and nursing homes. Majority of long-term that is provided starts at home and a member of the family is usually the caregiver. Its estimated that individuals currently turning 65 may need 3 years of long-term care in their lifetime, with almost 2 years of that care provided at home. The majority of care that is provided at home-about 80 percent- is provided by unpaid caregivers (National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care, 2008). Each organization under long-term care provides medical and non-medical care and social settings that fulfills the agreement of continuum of care. The programs and housing available includes support from health care providers that will try to maintain the quality of care individuals need. Transitioning in Long-Term Continuum In order to transition patients from one level to another level of care in the health continuum, long-term care organizations partake in transfer agreements. Transfer agreements are arrange between different levels of care and the providers after the other level no longer needed. â€Å"Hospitals have had agreements for placing their patients in nursing facilities or with home health care agencies. The two providers have worked out agreements to move consumers back and forth between them as care needs change† (Pratt, 2004, pg 222). Transfer agreements usually spell out such things as the clinical or functional conditions of patients for whom the receiving organization is prepared to care, which avoids appropriate transfers. They signify agreement on the types of information shared , saving providers and consumers potential grief and improving the quality of care (Pratt, 2004, pg 222). By different organizations participating in transfer agreements, it brings them business that would help keep them up float. For example, home health care agencies would profit by taking in transfers from hospitals and other long-term care organizations. Future Trends of Long-Term Care During this time the elderly are living longer and in a couple of years, baby boomers are about to retire so the need for long-term care is relevant. Consumers are at a point where they know exactly how they want a certain a degree of care for themselves as well as their family members. â€Å"Creation of new services has created additional demand. As more consumer-friendly services have become available and consumers have become more knowledgeable about them, there has been an increase in user of those services† (Pratt, 2004, pg 418). Even though long-term organizations are creating new services, many individuals continue to lack the quality of care they deserve and because of that Congress is stepping in. â€Å"As Congress and the Obama administration consider broad-based health reform, efforts to restructure long-term care are taking on greater urgency and policy experts have put forward several reform plans aimed at improving access to careâ€Å"(Gleckman, 2009). The main concern about long-term care is providing the money to pay for individuals and care providers. As a result, policymakers are considering several proposals for substantial reform. These fall under three categories: Shifting the focus of Medicaid long-term benefits to home care, expanding the long-term care and geriatric workforce, and restructuring the means of finance† (Gleckman, 2009). Federal and state have agreed that many individuals should think about long-term care insurance. In fact, federal and state have discussed providing ta x credits and deductions for buying long-term care insurance. Conclusion Evashwick defines continuum of care as a client-oriented system composed of both services and integrating mechanisms that guides and tracks clients over time through comprehensive array of health, mental health, and social services spanning Based on that definition, long term care has tried many methods in order to fulfill the promise of providing quality of care to all individuals who are need. Long term care has upgraded many of their organizations to allow many consumers to have a home based atmosphere at any level of care which includes services such as hospices, adult day centers, and improving community and base care. Even though long-term care organizations have obtain many resources they are lacking financial ability which has caused a major politicians will come together to help improve the financial responsibility especially or hurdle in providing quality of care. Hopefully, Congress and other politicians will figure that side of continuum of care when the baby boomers are about to retire. References Evashwick, C. (2005). The Continuum of Long- term care. (3rd edition). Clifton Park (NY): Delmar. Gleckman, K. (2009). The future of Long-Term Care: What is its place in the Health reform Debate. Retrieved from urban. org/UploadedPDF/411908_longterm_care. pdf Medicare. gov (2009). Retrieved from medicare. gov/longtermcare/static/home. asp National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information. (2008). Retrieved from longtermcare. gov/LTC/Main_Site/index. aspx Pratt, J. R. (2004). Long-Term Care: Management across the continuum. (2nd edition). Sudbury (MA): Jones and Bartlett Publishers.