HSA3223 Management of LTC Facilities Research Paper

HSA 3223 Management of LTC Facilities

Ladies and gentlemen,

The proportion of the US population that is 65 years or older is expected to almost double by 2050, (that equals 87 million!) when surviving baby boomers will be older than 85 years and likely quite frail. WOW!

As the needs for assistance in activities of daily living increase for our older adults†(soon to be us!), we MUST come up with solutions that not only address the challenge in care delivery systems but also of costs. With the average annual cost of a private room LTC coming in at just over $100?000, we must look at community-based model that allow these individuals to remain in their own homes and dramatically reduce federal Medicaid spending.

It has been determined that most senior adults would prefer to remain in their home as they age. However, their inability to take care of their basic needs like preparing their own meals or going to the bathroom or dressing themselves often means admission to a long-term care facility, which compromises the individualâ€s dignity and costs them, or taxpayers, thousands of dollars a month. So, how do we help our seniors achieve their aging goals? What ARE these goals?

Some Identified Goals of LTC Models

Affordable LTC

Viable and sustainable

Decrease or prevention of nursing home admission

Provide care that maintains the individualâ€s quality of life

Maintain an individualâ€s dignity

Ensure a livable wage for professional caregivers

Need to develop more transit and safer pedestrian infrastructure to connect retail, health and other community services

This can feel like an overwhelming task, and itâ€s hard to know where to begin. So… letâ€s start by looking at several different models out there ~ What even is a “Model”?! A Model is a blueprint, providing a structured and consistent approach to a problem ~ in this case, to the problem of long term care. Ideally, a model will provide a detailed infrastructure needed to address long term care needs and a structured method to match the need with the method of meeting those needs. In other words, weâ€re just looking at different ways people have attempted to address this long-term care need with the goal of being able to extend it past a specific population.

Take a look at some models that are already out there:

The Community First Choice Option (CFCO) program, offered in Washington State through the Affordable Care Act, provides community and home-based services for long-term care.

End of life planning and palliative care

Creating the Small Business Retirement Marketplace (Links to an external site.) to improve seniors†financial security by giving employers and employees more affordable and high-quality retirement options.

House-hold model (presented by Action Pact)

Ovationâ€s Evercare (a health care improvement program developed for the US government)

Kaiser Permanente (American integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield)

Greenhouse model (small houses are home to 6–12 residents in which care is given as much attention as treatment and is provided by a consistent, self-directed team of staff who are responsible for all care, including preparing meals in a centrally located open kitchen.

Adards community Model (based in Tasmania, Australia)

MediCaring, proposed by the Altarum Institute Center for elder Care and Advanced illness

The CAPABLE Program (Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders)

PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly)~ a model of community-based long-term care that provides coordinated and comprehensive services with an interdisciplinary patient-centered team model that is paid for through Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurers.

Research Paper Guidelines

Format: 3-5 pages of content (not incl. title page, reference list), APA 6th Ed. Format

The purpose of this paper is to provide the opportunity to examine in-depth perspective and the possible application of a model to the long-term healthcare challenges we are faced with. When selecting a model, consider YOUR GOAL (as addressed in the discussion board) and related issues that may be applicable. Please review the rubric.

Select a long-term care model of your choice (I have identified at least 10 above but there are more!): potential models are varied but must be approved by the instructor via course-mail.

Include at least three peer-reviewed journals in your research, no older than 3-4 yrs.

Prepare a reference list of all resources and websites used in your research using APA 6th ed guidelines (please note: IF you include them in your reference list, you must cite them in your paper)