I am proposing a reform for a shift from nursing home care to home health care, which is much more affordable for patients and long-term care facilities.
One of the major problems with long-term care in our country is all of the costs that go into it. In Wisconsin, it costs an average of $36,594 per year for assisted living and an average of $86,505 per year to live in a nursing home. (aarp.com) The answer is not to reduce costs and lower the wages of these dedicated health care workers, but to try and shift a far greater percentage of people who require long-term care into home and community based settings instead of nursing homes. This way, the quality of care and the quality of life can be drastically improved for those in need of long-term care.
So much money goes into operating nursing homes and many of the residents do not necessarily need to be in these facilities in the first place. I currently work as a Certified Nursing Assistant in a nursing home and at least twenty-five percent of the residents I work with would greatly benefit from home health care. They do not need to rely on caretakers for every moment of the day and are mostly independent. I believe they would also enjoy being able to stay in their own homes instead of a facility.
This reform will allow many people who currently live in nursing homes be evaluated and find out if they can possibly do just as well in the comfort of their own home through home health providers or outpatient visits to rehabilitative or care centers in their community. While the aim is to shift many people to home health care services, some people will still need to be in nursing homes, either for constant care or because they have no family or other support. This way, these changes will not necessarily be detrimental to nursing homes and the services they provide.
Someone might be opposed to this is they think that nursing homes are doing a great job for their residents. While the staff may be dedicated and the facility may be working very hard, it will never be hard enough. Nursing homes are hardly like a “home” at all. They are more like a hospital or some other type of warehouse facility. They are understaffed according to law and in order for care to improve, this law or something about it must change. I think it is important to begin with the shift to home health care to improve the quality of each and every aspect of long-term care.
As mentioned earlier, nursing home care costs $86,505 per year in Wisconsin but having a home health aide in the home for two hours of daily care would cost about $16,060 ($22 per hour) for one year. This would definitely save costs for insurance companies and Medicare as well as those individuals who have to pay out of pocket in the current health plan our country has. By moving from overcrowded nursing homes to home health care and assisted living, access would increase for individuals who are most in need of the services offered by nursing homes. The quality of care would increase for those who are able to move to their own homes and their quality of life would improve.
1. "Long-Term Care: Early Planning Pays Off" MayoClinic.com. 16 Jan. 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.
2. "Medicare.gov - Types of Long-Term Care." Medicare.gov - The Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare. 25 Mar. 2009. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.
3. Shi, Leiyu, and Douglas A. Singh. Delivering Health Care in America A Systems Approach. 4th ed. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett, 2008. Print.
4. "What Does Long-term Care Cost In Your State?" AARP Public Policy Institute. 25 Oct. 2006. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.
5. "What is LTC ?" National Clearinghouse for Long Term Care. 22 Oct. 2008. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.
This is a valid proposal. I don't think most older adults want to end up in the nursing home and would probably try to do things to keep themselves out, such as keeping themselves in shape and energy to do those daily tasks that start to get harder and harder with age. Staying in your own home will keep you more comfortable and emotionally stable. After years of life, to leave your home filled with memories can be depressing. And losing the ability to care for yourself can also be so. A push for in-home care over nursing home care would definitely help older adults stay as independent as possible.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! It is often seen that many elders are forced into nursing homes by their children or family members, whether they want to or not. By weeding out the ones who are capable of functioning on their own with the help of an aid or through outpatient care will significantly reduce the cost and also will provide a better quality or care because it was have a decreased population. Again, as you stated, access would increase for those we need it most.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your proposal. I would agree that many residents would benefit more from home health care. I too have worked as a CNA in a nursing home and found that many residents could thrive from living independenly for the most part with a small amount of aid each day for the daily activities that may be more difficult to complete by themselves.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that home health care would increase quality and lower costs. However, I don't think it is fair to say that all nursing homes are like "warehouse facilities." I am also a CNA and the facilities that I have had experience with were not like a "warehouse." I admit there are a lot of improvements to be made with long-term care facilities, but there has been a surge for many facilities to offer more "home-like" settings.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there should be more of a push towards home health care, but it is a bit unclear on how this proposal would be enacted/who would be enacting it.