Making Choices Part 1

Making Choices Part 1

LTC/315

Making Choices Part 1

Do you have a plan in place to help you meet all you needs as you age? When looking at this plan that we are going to be putting in place as we age we need to ensure that our financial resources help us select the option that is best for us not that we have to select an option based on our financial needs. Will the organization that we select benefit not only our cultural beliefs and our traditions and is this something that were even going to consider? Lastly will take a look at how families and other caregivers affect our choices when we make the decision as to what kind of facility we will find ourselves being placed in.

Cost is the driving factor behind everything. Our entire lives it’s dictated what kind of car will buy where will live if we were able to buy that brand new fridge or if we had to get a used one, that financial aspect has not gone away now that were in our twilight years. According to Paying for senior care.com  (2017), “Long Term Care Insurance, is a policy that pays for some or all a senior’s long-term care costs in exchange for monthly premiums that typically range from $250-$1,000 per month. “ policies such as this can be beneficial as they allow for the senior to pay less for LTC care however, most “insurers typically do not accept new, elderly enrollees if they are already receiving or in need of care. Even seniors not requiring immediate care but in frail health are often rejected. If a senior is accepted, the insurance premiums can be very expensive.” (Paying for senior care.com, 2017) Therefore planning ahead for this type of policy is required. You want to make sure that as you’re younger you’re able to pay for the policy premiums as your age increases. Even if one is not selecting to use an LTC policy they would want to ensure that they have enough disposable income to be able to pay for the facility of their choice.

Due to the fact that we are all individual and brought up in different dynamics we need to be respectful of cultural diversity within the facility that were selecting, the resident needs to know that they are wishes will be respected. Staff needs to know and be able to accommodate the differences within each individual. These choices way significantly when it comes time to select the facility. Should a resident not feel that their culture is being respected it would make them uncomfortable and not want to stay there. It’s also a matter of respect, in a resent study it was found that ” spiritual support was perceived to be a vital factor in fostering patient dignity and the provision of spiritual support to LTC patients, dish in the same study found that it’s imperative to provide emotional support to all patients regardless of responsiveness.” (Periyakoil,, Stevens, & Kraemer, 2014) knowing that a resident has the support that they will need throughout the transitional phases of their long-term care is important not only to the individual but also to the family. We all want to make sure that our love ones are taken care of when we’re not there for them physically knowing that they’re being treated by staff that can tend to those needs is important to everyone as well being.

Ultimately yes factors of finances, insurance or lack of insurance in addition to the physical and emotional support that a person will receive should factor in on the facility choice that they make. So ensuring that you’re going to a facility that will tend to your cultural/spiritual or religious needs is also important. You want your loved one to feel as though they’re in a home away from home you don’t want them to be uncomfortable or to be met the circumstances that have been wishing they were somewhere else. Who is making the choice for themselves as to what type of LTC facility they will be selecting they should also take into consideration that they may not be a couple for their entire stay 1/2 may pass on before the other party does there for ensuring that those needs are still method is important to the perspective remainder of that person’s life. Should’ve facility only cater to one person’s needs and not the other then the remaining person of the couple could be in a situation where they’re uncomfortable in their surroundings therefore leading to death possibly sooner than it should be here.

Family members or caregivers of the older individuals should also take these things into consideration when bringing up the topic of an LTC facility. You don’t want to put someone in a place where they can’t afford to be here so cost is definitely a important factor with making that decision. It also ensuring that their needs are going to be met is as equally important. Cultural diversity’s between not only the resident should be factored in but also if those needs are being adequately met. “Speaking the same language, eating the same foods, practicing the same religion or valuing the same lifestyle choices certainly makes living under one roof together much more palatable.” (Orestis, 2014)

For many people the LTC facility will be the last place that they live we want them to have a time where they’re comfortable, happy, and supported. Factoring these concessions in the selecting the facility where they’re going to spend the remainder of their years is important not just for those who were going to be left to take care of them but also for their own peace of mind. Knowing that there with like-minded people or that they have the financial means to continue to stay there and not have to worry about where they’re going to be in 5 to 10 years is important we need to factor these things in when making selections and we also need to make sure that they’re aware of these topics when going through the selection process.

Reference

 Paying for senior care.com. (2017). Long Term Care Insurance and Paying for Elder Care. Retrieved from

https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/longtermcare/resources/ltc_insurance.html

Periyakoil,, V.S., Stevens, M., & Kraemer, H. (2014, March). Multi-Cultural Long Term Care Nurses’ Perceptions of Factors Influencing Patient Dignity at the End of Life. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 61(3), 440-446. doi:10.1111/jgs.12145

Orestis, C. (2014). Diversity is growing in Senior Housing and Long Term Care. Life Care Funding, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.lifecarefunding.com/blog/diversity-is-growing-in-senior-housing-and-long-term-care/