Grand Canyon University Improving Current Long Term Care System Disucssion Response
respond to the following discussion post
Elements essential to the delivery of long-term care include a variety of services that cater to individuals changing needs over time and suit their personal preferences (Shi & Singh, 2019). Assessments are utilized to determine the individual’s needs to create personalized services that meet the individual’s current physical, mental, and emotional conditions. It should have seamless integration with the rest of the health care delivery system to meet these needs. Case management is essential to determining what needs are required and may help facilitate financing options to meet these needs. Care is on a continuum and ranges from supporting independence to total dependence depending on what the individual and family require. Money and financing is also an essential aspect in the delivery of long-term care. Regular health insurance does not typically cover LTC and more than half of informal care is delivered by family members or friends. The majority of formal LTC is financed by Medicaid and Medicare putting even more pressure on a struggling system as the country ages and requires more LTC coverage (Shi & Singh, 2019).
The current system is not effective in addressing the needs of an aging population because by 2030, 20% of the total U.S. population is projected to be elderly and the population consisting of people age 85 or older is expected to grow the fastest of all age groups. The current system will not have the funding to sustain the needs of LTC for a prolonged amount of time (Shi & Singh, 2019, p. 402). It is more cost-effective to keep people out of institutionalized care and in many circumstances better for the individual, however, resources are limited to support family members in doing so. For example, my son was born with a rare chromosome malformation which has left him non-verbal, severe developmentally delayed and requires help with all aspects of daily living. This year he turned 21 and will officially age out of the school system. He will require some form of long-term care for the rest of his life. Because of the limitations of support my husband quit his job this year to stay home to care for him. We are fortunate that we can do this, but that is not the case for most people. Additionally, as we age, we are concerned about our son’s future, who will care for him when we are too old to physically do so? In the past, there have been strict rules about saving or gifting money to those who require LTC services because if they have too much money or assets in their name, they lose government support and benefits. Some of these rules and penalties are being relaxed but it still creates a barrier in trying to plan for the future.
Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2019). Delivering health care in America (delivering health care in America: A systems approach) (7th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
