03 Jan It is highly likely

HSA3223 Management of Long Term Care Facilities

Chapter 3 Discussion

Ladies and gentlemen ~ The problems related to finding the ideal long-term case solution is complex. I believe we can agree on this. I would propose though, that you are the generation that will have to tackle this problem. BEFORE starting this posting, please view a TED talk by Futurist Ari Wallach Link (Links to an external site.) that explores a way of thinking for the (very) longterm planning~ for our purposes, think about LONGTERM CARE. He challenges us to determine what we are working for ~ What is our desired end outcome? some say to goal is “happy and healthy aging”, others want aging in place, others look only at the bottom line, and the list goes on….

Choose either option 1 or option 2 to expound on.

Option1:

The “ideal” long-term care system discussed in Chapter Three would base eligibility for services on functional needs rather than financial needs. Find the criteria for eligibility for Medicaid coverage for a nursing facility in your state (you can get the eligibility standards directly from the state or from a nursing facility).

Do they measure functional need vs. financial need?

How close do they come to the “ideal” criteria?

How would you change them if you could?

In your discussion, you are free to be innovative and imaginative. Just be prepared to support any arguments you make with citations. While your answer should relate to the materials in the text, you do not have to agree with them. In fact, the more thought you put into your response, the better the overall discussion will be.

Option 2:

It is highly likely that you know someone, perhaps a family member, who has had reason to use some portion of the long-term care system, or maybe you have been involved with the system on someone’s behalf. If not, talk with someone who has. Based on that experience, discuss the following two-part question:

What did you, or the person needing the services, find to be most difficult about getting or using those services? Possible answers might involve learning about available services, determining financial eligibility, the impersonality of the system, the lack of coordination, etc. You get the idea.

If you could improve the long-term care system to remove the difficulty you discussed above, what one thing would you change?