Long-term care is a specialized care treatment that is given to individuals who are unable to perform their daily duties as a result of chronic illness, disability, ageing, or injury. It may also include supervision that is given to a patient at a time that they are experiencing cognitive problems caused by diseases such as Alzheimer's syndrome. The treatment is not intended to cure the patient, but at times it may be needed throughout the life to manage an illness. The care can be received at home, a nursing home, or in a long-term hospital. The discussion will analyze the perception of long term care, the population it serves, and how the week's reading has changed my perception of long term care.
Long-term care is not unique to a given group. Anyone is capable of needing the care at some point in their lives. Several injuries and ailments can render a person to be put under this type of care treatment. Accidents that are as a result of automobiles such as vehicles are common causes. Also, accidents can result from sporting activities such as athletics, rugby, and football. Concerning illnesses, brain tumors, strokes, injuries on the spinal cord, and multiple sclerosis among others are diseases that can lead to long-term care. Approximately 41% of individuals under the age of 65 need this type of attention as a result of disabilities, mental diseases, chronic conditions, and injuries. According to Huber et al. (2009), in the United States, 70% of people with 65 years and above require long-term care at a given point in their lives.
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The long-term care given to patients has various types of goals. The first goal is geared towards the improvement of the patient's ability to function properly. Another goal for this program would be to ensure that the patients live a good life despite their impairments and disabilities. The third goal for long-term care is to ensure that their client’s well-being indicators are regained. Also, the patients in these facilities are assisted with simple things such as bathing and eating to ensure that they live a normal life. A majority of the long-term care is performed in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other facilities that offer various services such as medical and personal based.
The readings of this week have greatly changed my perceptions of long-term care. I have been able to understand that long-term care is not specific to the old alone, but is also applicable to all other ages provided that the patients in question have certain incapacitation that cannot enable them to continue with their normal lives. I have also been privileged to understand the various goals of the long-term care program and the various facilities under which it is undertaken. Finally, the knowledge concerning the prevalence of this type of care among the young and the old has immensely boosted my understanding of the long-term care with regards to demographics.
Currents events that mark the practice of long-term care include the aspect of insurance coverage. Due to the expensive nature of such a program, employer based coverage is unable to cater for the daily expenses of this care. Brown and Finkelstein (2011) asserted that people, therefore, resort to health insurance policies such as Medicare that covers the patient's stay in the long-term care facilities. The insurance policies offer a myriad of options, and it is very flexible. Factors that are considered in taking an insurance policy include age, the health condition of the patient, income, premiums, and other taxes involved. The insurance policy increases the awareness of long-term care as it gives people a financial option in dealing with constraints that are experienced in settling the expensive bills in the facilities.
Secondly, with the growth of the ageing population especially people with 65 years and above, the number of individuals suffering from chronic illnesses increases. This means that the number of people receiving long-term care will increase rapidly. The country will, therefore, be faced with a major financial challenge in their bid to cater for these services as put forward by Francesca et al . (2011). The nation will have to find various ways in which they would pay for the services to ensure that quality services are offered in such facilities. Failure to increase funding, a major crisis will occur that will have an implication on the quality of care given and also on the economic stability of the family members of the patient. The law-making organs such as the Congress of the United States have considered passing bills that will see the increase of financial allocation in caring homes. This current trend sheds more insight on long-term care highlighting the prospect of the program. It shows that in the few coming years many people will require these services because more accidents and illnesses are occurring across various ages.
In my community, the three primary care populations include the ages, mostly 70 years and above, the mentally incapacitated and those having chronic and terminal illnesses such as cancer and AIDS. Most of them are either taken care of in the nursing home or at home under the care of a nurse or a physician. In conclusion, long-term care occurs across all ages debunking the myth that it is only carried out on the old. There are several goals for this care including improving the patient's health and providing them with services that are geared towards restoring proper functioning of their bodies. Current trends affecting the program include the insurance coverage and the prospects of financial constraints.
References
Brown, J. R., & Finkelstein, A. (2011). Insuring long-term care in the United States. The Journal of Economic Perspectives , 25 (4), 119-141.
Francesca, C., Ana, L. N., Jérôme, M., & Fritz, T. (2011). OECD health policy studies help wanted? Providing and paying for long-term care: providing and paying for long-term care (Vol. 2011). OECD Publishing.
Huber, M., Rodrigues, R., Hoffmann, F., Gąsior, K., & Marin, B. (2009). Facts and figures on long-term care for older people: Europe and North America. European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Vienna .
