Long-term care has been defined as non-medical care which is offered to individuals who need help in carrying out basic activities of daily living. Such activities include bathing, dressing or even using the washroom. This type of care can be provided right at home or in specialized institutions e.g. nursing homes or facilities for assisted living (Davies & Challis, 2018). In the USA, most of the individuals who receive this type of care are the elderly members of the society.
In the USA, long-term care is generally not catered for by Medicare. Medicare only pays for healthcare that is provided besides long-term care. An example of this is the case where a patient in a nursing home facility suffers from stroke. Medicare will step in and pay for the appropriate treatment for the cerebrovascular accident, in spite of the fact that it is not settling the monthly bills which accrue from the care offered by the nursing home. Upon meeting certain criteria set aside by Medicare, for example, a minimum of three days as an inpatient before admission to the skilled nursing institution, a patient will also benefit from physiotherapy, occupational therapy or any other healthcare services provided by the nursing home. These expenses will be met by Medicare. Another program referred to as Medicaid has been established for Americans with low earnings. This program, coordinated by both the State authorities and the Federal Government, is tasked with paying for long-term care for Americans who’ve depleted their resources. Approximately two thirds of residents in nursing facilities across the US have coverage from Medicaid. “Dual-eligible” citizens are those who can receive coverage from both Medicare and Medicaid (Davies & Challis, 2018). In view of the fact that the elderly population is just the only group whose medical care has an insurance cover as a form of entitlement, we note that, on the contrary, the elderly who require long-term care are not fully protected.
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From the videos and the article availed, I have learnt that every member of the Society needs to plan for their long-term care, in case this need arises. There are huge financial implications on one’s retirement plan as well as savings as they continue to grow into their 80s and 90s. As people grow, there are a number of biopsychosocial changes which occur. Some of the physical changes will be seen in their appearance, their body build, movement and even their vital bodily functions. Most of these senior members of the community will be predisposed to both non-infectious and infectious ailments. A lot of psychosocial changes are also witnessed, and these too require professional help (Whitbourne & Whitbourne, 2014). This warrants careful planning for old age by all individuals in their youthful years.
In my view, I think that the crisis in long-term care is becoming worse in the USA. For many citizens, this particular type of elderly care is very expensive and thus unaffordable. Most elderly individuals are not in a financial position to pay $100,000 annually for services rendered by nursing homes, $33,000 for home care and 45,000 dollars fee for assisted living (Richtman, 2019). However, the future of older Americans remains bright. Through intensive education and creation of awareness about old age and its implications, more and more Americans will become aware of what inevitably awaits them.
To improve our long-term care system, the government needs to come up with new legislation and develop another program, just in the same way Medicare was designed in 1965. This will ensure affordable and accessible care to the older population.
References
Davies, B., & Challis, D. (2018). Matching resources to needs in community care . Routledge.
Richtman, M. (2019). America’s long-term care crisis is worsening . MarketWatch. Retrieved 2 August 2020, from https://www.marketwatch.com/story/americas-long-term-care-crisis-is-worsening-2019-07-22 .
Smith, D. (2017). Entitlement Politics . Retrieved 2 August 2020, from.
Whitbourne, S., & Whitbourne, S. (2014). Adult Development & Aging: Biopsychosocial Perspectives (5th Ed.). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
