Concept of Long-Term Care Reflection

HCS/437

The concept of long-term care has changed my perspective of how the services long-term care services are provided more than just to the elderly, but for any individual that is needed for the services provided through the services of long-term care. These services on long-term care provides a complex of services for individuals with different conditions that relate trauma, chronic illnesses, or chronic conditions. Long-term care is used for individuals that are not capable of carrying out their daily activities. The need of long-term care has three main circumstances to provide assistance for the need of daily living tasks, continuity of care after hospitalization, and care in specialized environments for a patient. Three main reasons of long-term care that surrounds the variety of services are addressing the change of needs over time, fitting the needs of different people, and the personal preferences to suit others. The services of long-term care will continue to expand chronic disabilities and illness that relates to advancing age. Diversity with older patients will become more racial and ethnical. Although, the concerns of these situations gives us the capability to accommodate the services of long-term care with different cultures of elders to manage the assistance of health to prevent formalized systems, chronic illnesses, retain safety, increase a quality of life, and functional impairment.

According to Ellis & Roadman, 2011, In long-term care the number of options are with specific advantages, but can vary in specific disadvantages by state jurisdiction that prevents decisions to become difficult for elderly people and families. According to Ellis & Roadman, 2011, The services of long-term care options have a continuum, which ranges from services in the home, without home services, board, and room homes, elder group homes, adult day care, nursing homes, assisting living facilities, and residential facilities.

Some of the current events that relate to the services of long-term care are the finances. One example of long-term care is the financing crisis, which Americans are facing since 2013. The needs are not being meet by the current system for the disabled and elderly populations. Entering retirement for the baby boomers of 77 million, the increase of long-term care crisis will continue to grow due to medical advances that have increased longevity and the total number of baby boomers. There are a few patients that have arranged long-term care services to be paid through their savings and insurance. According to Calmus, 2013, Without a serious plan to expand personal responsibility among Americans for their future care needs a strong safety net for the truly needy hit with extraordinary care needs will be imperiled. The current system needs to be reformed by the policymakers more swiftly to make certain that the retirees of the near future will not have to bankrupt future generations by having access to high-quality care. Another example of in the United States is financing the institutions and sources. From previous generations, today many American’s are living longer. Baby boomer generations are increasing more in the older the Americans. Long-term care service will significantly increase for the near future. The support and services of long-term care provide personal care, medical, and social services with patients that have mental disorders and chronic medical conditions. The environment settings are delivered through assisted-living environments, institutions, and even private residences. Shortly of 2020, there will be an estimated increase of 15 million Americans.

According to Frank, 2012, “Over 80% of these individuals receive help informally from friends and relatives.” Although, the rest of these Americans received formal services in institutions, home, or other community settings. An estimated spending by the United States in 2009 was between the amount of 203.2 and 243.3 billion. These spendings were sources of public and private that were paid by both parties. The importance of recognizing that families and friends with no money provide the share of long-term care support and services. Long-term care support and services needs will always have most families that a member will need these services. According to Frank, 2012, the growth ratio of under 65 to over-65 years old are increasing, and the role of the labor force of women continue to expand, the expansion of formal paid care services are expected to increase. By 2045, the point of trends will increase long-term care spending support services.

Populations of long-term care services in my community include disabled children, the elderly with disabilities that prevent them from their independence, and disabled veterans. Long-term care populations in my community include disabled war veterans, disabled children, and the elderly with disabilities that prevent them from being independent. The state of Georgia has the eighth largest veteran population in the nation. There are currently 409,997 veterans, and 68,468 in the state of Alabama classified as disabled (Department of Veteran Affairs, 2016). In my home state of Birmingham, Alabama, I researched that there are twenty-two skilled nursing facilities that assist the disabled children and elderly in my community. As provided above for these three demographics are for the utilization services available in my community. These services include the population of meals on wheels for the elderly, the outpatient clinics for the veterans that are disabled, and the home health care services for children.

By working at the VA Medical Center here in Birmingham, I am quite familiar with the programs that are available to the veterans, which I have family that is retired veterans that utilize them. In my community, it is very a very diverse group environment with many varieties options for care. I have some knowledge of services for disabled children and elderly services provided in my community. In the community of Birmingham are there are twenty-two skilled nursing facilities. By doing my research, I even found a website there is helpful to find information relating to these facilities.

In conclusion, I have found that this class is very helpful to have learned more detailed information and sources of long-term care for not only myself, but for others, I can share it with for a future purpose. I’ve also encountered more information of the financial crisis, sources, and institutions consist of services for long-term care. Researching different types of long-term care populations that are availability in my community. I am very excited about pursuing my degree in health care administration with long-term care.

References

Calmus, Diane. (2013). The Long-Term Care Financing Crisis.

Retrieved from: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/02/the-long-term-care-financing-crisis

Department of Veteran Affairs. (2016).

Retrieved from: https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/factsheets/ss_alabama.pdf

Ellis, David & Roadman, H. Charles. (2011). The Future of Long-Term Care.

Retrieved from: http://www.hhnmag.com/articles/5004-the-future-of-long-term-care

Frank, Richard G. (2012). Long-term Care Financing in the United States:

Sources and Institutions. Retrieved from: https://academic.oup.com/aepp/article/34/2/333/8148/Long-term-Care-Financing-in-the-United-States

Pratt, J. (2016). Long-Term Care: Managing Across the Continuum (4th ed.). Burlington, MA:

Jones & Bartlett Learning. .

Singh, D. A. (2016). Effective Management of Long-Term Care Facilities (3rd ed.).