Transition: Long Term Care
Consumers Transition…………..40 million Americans will reach the age of 65 and over in 2011. In the year 2025, the youngest of the baby boomers will reach retirement age and when 2025 approaches, 63 million Americans will be retired (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008). This does not include the larger number of people living longer up to or over the age of 80. During the golden years, individuals will require different types of long-term care services to live out the rest of their life comfortably. Depending upon a consumer’s medical condition or needs, several options of long-term care or nursing facilities may be needed. Long-term services can be broken down into several categories. Some services for the elderly are nursing facilities, subacute
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care, assisted living, elderly housing and community-based services (Pratt, 2010). Nursing facilities and consumers will be the primary focus while discussing long-term care in the institutional setting. Nursing Homes or skilled nursing facilities are healthcare facilities licensed by the state and certified by Medicare. As chronic health conditions effect the elderly, nursing homes will be a means of providing medical care and assisting with activities of daily living. Out of the 17,000 nursing homes and approximately 2 million nursing facility beds throughout the United States, consumers are placed in the institutional setting for supervision of health needs (AHCA, 2008). Nursing homes provide nursing coverage 24 hours a day for consumers who cannot take care of their own health and medical needs. As a result of the consumer’s condition, family members or the consumers have to make a decision to be placed in an institution because of medical or safety conditions. Nursing homes are located throughout the United States and in large cities or rural areas. Nursing homes availability of beds will need to increase dramatically by the year 2050. Statistics show that the population living longer than 75 years of age will increase by almost 3 percent a year. Out of the 3 percent, there will be about 49 million citizens living over the age of 75. This is compared to the 86 million citizens who will be alive over the age of 65 to the age 75 (NC of Health and Human Services, 2007). With these numbers in mind, one in five members will be older than 65 and 12 million people will need some form of long-term care.
As the American populous gets older and long-term care needs increase, will North Carolina nursing homes be prepared to care for new residents? As of 2009, there are 427 nursing homes in North Carolina providing services for the long-term residents and the numbers will increase to 1 million individuals over the age of 65 in the 2030. As of 2008, North Carolina maintained 42,000 certified beds in long-term facilities (State Health Facts, 2009). The number of consumers needing long-term care can be broken down into different healthcare needs.
80 percent of health care givers support chronically ill, frail and disabled adults in their family but as time goes on caregivers are unable to provide extensive care. When more cares is needed, he or she is placed in a skilled nursing facility and may receive care around the clock. Some of the institutional base services in providing medical care in nursing homes range from Alzheimer’s, handicapped, AIDS to ventilator patients.
Alzheimer’s is a form of cognitive disability and a form of dementia that develops with the elderly and currently affects 5.3 million people (Alzheimer’s Association, 2010). Other types of consumer needing long-term care are individuals with physical disabilities, mentally retarded, mentally ill or consumers with heart conditions. Even though the elderly are focused on the utilization of long term facilities, younger individuals with disabilities are placed in nursing skilled facilities. Their medical condition may be congenital or developed at an early stage of life. There are many other people with health and medical condition which seek long-term care but this is just a small snapshot of who receives care.
After discussing the elderly and the increasing elderly population, identifying a quality facility is an important decision in choosing a long-term facility for oneself or a family member.
Quality with healthcare can be defined as “a judgment about the goodness of both technical care and the management of the interpersonal exchanges between a client and practitioner” (Donabedian, 1991).
To help improve quality, regulations and laws pertaining to long term care standards were developed to impose the quality of care for consumers in nursing facilities. One of several regulations passed to set standards was the initiation of Omnibus Budget reconciliation Act (OBRA). OBRA set standards for residents’ rights, quality for life, staffing services, resident assessment, and federal procedures. Another quality improvement program comes from an accrediting agency such as Joint Commission on Accreditation Organizations (JCAHO) (Pratt, et al).
As a Health Care Manager, it will be in the best interest to understand regulations and enforce quality controls in the long-term facilities. All of the regulations can be complex and overlap one another. For example, most regulations of laws originated from the federal government. Federal laws account for the large proportion of Medicare and Medicaid standards. Next, state laws required that each state have a single agency to oversee Medicare and Medicaid. Lastly, the local level in the counties such as the health department has an interest …show more content…
with quality of care received by the consumers.
Even though just a few of the regulations were mentioned, many more agencies and regulations are involved with consumers receiving quality care. Consumers and family members are able to decide which nursing homes meet the best quality rating. Family members can review ratings on the long-term facilities by reviewing an online site called “Nursing Home Compare”. The site has information about nursing homes, number of beds, ownership and quality measures. Another way family members and consumers are able to compare nursing facilities is to review report card ratings established by state governments (Pratt, et. al).
Alzheimer’s Association, (2010).
Retrieved February 18, 2010 from http://www.alz.org /alzheimers_disease _facts_figures.asp
American Health Care Association (2008). Retrieved 13 February 2009 from http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/natproj.html.
Donabedian, A. (1991). Reflections on the effectiveness of Quality Assurance. In H.D. Palmer, Striving for Quality in Health Care: An Inquiry into Policy and Practice. P.61
NC of Health and Human Services, (2007). Retrieved February 16, 2010 from http://www.ncdhhs.gov/aging/stplan/NC_Aging_Services_Plan_2007.pdf.
Pratt, J (2010). Long-Term Care: Managing Across the Continuum, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 3rd ed. p.17.
State Health Facts, (2009) Retrieved February 16, 2010 from http://www.statehealthfacts.org.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2008). U.S. Interim projections by age , sex, race, and Hispanic origin: 2000-2050. Retrieved February 7, 2010 from U.S. Census Bureau:
http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/usinterimproj/.
care, assisted living, elderly housing and community-based services (Pratt, 2010). Nursing facilities and consumers will be the primary focus while discussing long-term care in the institutional setting. Nursing Homes or skilled nursing facilities are healthcare facilities licensed by the state and certified by Medicare. As chronic health conditions effect the elderly, nursing homes will be a means of providing medical care and assisting with activities of daily living. Out of the 17,000 nursing homes and approximately 2 million nursing facility beds throughout the United States, consumers are placed in the institutional setting for supervision of health needs (AHCA, 2008). Nursing homes provide nursing coverage 24 hours a day for consumers who cannot take care of their own health and medical needs. As a result of the consumer’s condition, family members or the consumers have to make a decision to be placed in an institution because of medical or safety conditions. Nursing homes are located throughout the United States and in large cities or rural areas. Nursing homes availability of beds will need to increase dramatically by the year 2050. Statistics show that the population living longer than 75 years of age will increase by almost 3 percent a year. Out of the 3 percent, there will be about 49 million citizens living over the age of 75. This is compared to the 86 million citizens who will be alive over the age of 65 to the age 75 (NC of Health and Human Services, 2007). With these numbers in mind, one in five members will be older than 65 and 12 million people will need some form of long-term care.
As the American populous gets older and long-term care needs increase, will North Carolina nursing homes be prepared to care for new residents? As of 2009, there are 427 nursing homes in North Carolina providing services for the long-term residents and the numbers will increase to 1 million individuals over the age of 65 in the 2030. As of 2008, North Carolina maintained 42,000 certified beds in long-term facilities (State Health Facts, 2009). The number of consumers needing long-term care can be broken down into different healthcare needs.
80 percent of health care givers support chronically ill, frail and disabled adults in their family but as time goes on caregivers are unable to provide extensive care. When more cares is needed, he or she is placed in a skilled nursing facility and may receive care around the clock. Some of the institutional base services in providing medical care in nursing homes range from Alzheimer’s, handicapped, AIDS to ventilator patients.
Alzheimer’s is a form of cognitive disability and a form of dementia that develops with the elderly and currently affects 5.3 million people (Alzheimer’s Association, 2010). Other types of consumer needing long-term care are individuals with physical disabilities, mentally retarded, mentally ill or consumers with heart conditions. Even though the elderly are focused on the utilization of long term facilities, younger individuals with disabilities are placed in nursing skilled facilities. Their medical condition may be congenital or developed at an early stage of life. There are many other people with health and medical condition which seek long-term care but this is just a small snapshot of who receives care.
After discussing the elderly and the increasing elderly population, identifying a quality facility is an important decision in choosing a long-term facility for oneself or a family member.
Quality with healthcare can be defined as “a judgment about the goodness of both technical care and the management of the interpersonal exchanges between a client and practitioner” (Donabedian, 1991).
To help improve quality, regulations and laws pertaining to long term care standards were developed to impose the quality of care for consumers in nursing facilities. One of several regulations passed to set standards was the initiation of Omnibus Budget reconciliation Act (OBRA). OBRA set standards for residents’ rights, quality for life, staffing services, resident assessment, and federal procedures. Another quality improvement program comes from an accrediting agency such as Joint Commission on Accreditation Organizations (JCAHO) (Pratt, et al).
As a Health Care Manager, it will be in the best interest to understand regulations and enforce quality controls in the long-term facilities. All of the regulations can be complex and overlap one another. For example, most regulations of laws originated from the federal government. Federal laws account for the large proportion of Medicare and Medicaid standards. Next, state laws required that each state have a single agency to oversee Medicare and Medicaid. Lastly, the local level in the counties such as the health department has an interest …show more content…
with quality of care received by the consumers.
Even though just a few of the regulations were mentioned, many more agencies and regulations are involved with consumers receiving quality care. Consumers and family members are able to decide which nursing homes meet the best quality rating. Family members can review ratings on the long-term facilities by reviewing an online site called “Nursing Home Compare”. The site has information about nursing homes, number of beds, ownership and quality measures. Another way family members and consumers are able to compare nursing facilities is to review report card ratings established by state governments (Pratt, et. al).
Alzheimer’s Association, (2010).
Retrieved February 18, 2010 from http://www.alz.org /alzheimers_disease _facts_figures.asp
American Health Care Association (2008). Retrieved 13 February 2009 from http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/natproj.html.
Donabedian, A. (1991). Reflections on the effectiveness of Quality Assurance. In H.D. Palmer, Striving for Quality in Health Care: An Inquiry into Policy and Practice. P.61
NC of Health and Human Services, (2007). Retrieved February 16, 2010 from http://www.ncdhhs.gov/aging/stplan/NC_Aging_Services_Plan_2007.pdf.
Pratt, J (2010). Long-Term Care: Managing Across the Continuum, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 3rd ed. p.17.
State Health Facts, (2009) Retrieved February 16, 2010 from http://www.statehealthfacts.org.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2008). U.S. Interim projections by age , sex, race, and Hispanic origin: 2000-2050. Retrieved February 7, 2010 from U.S. Census Bureau:
http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/usinterimproj/.