Question

Long-term care decisions are often complex and highly emotional, selection of which is often clouded by a lack of understanding of options. Noting the seemingly life-long academic pursuits of members and a rapidly approaching benefits open season, the human resources director of the AAAA Premier Student Association (AAA) has asked you to provide an educational brochure addressing LTC choices for UPSA members. The overview should be concise but informative and address the full range of LTC services, including alternative service venues, palliative care, and hospice. While an overview, the document should be sufficiently detailed to assist in guiding LTC decisions.

our paper should be 5-7 pages in length, excluding cover page, abstract, and references, in APA format

Answer 1

Long-term care insurance covers home care, assisted living, adult daycare, respite care, hospice care, nursing home, Alzheimer's facilities, and home modification to accommodate disabilities. long-term care insurance can pay for home care, often from the first day it is needed.when the home care coverage is purchased.

Types of Long-Term Care

Following are brief descriptions of the major types of long-term care:

Home care can be given at home by family members, friends, volunteers, and/or paid professionals. This type of care can range from help with shopping to nursing care. Some short-term, skilled home care (provided by a nurse or therapist) is covered by some of the agencies and also called "home health care." Another type of care that can be given at home is hospice care for terminally ill people.

Community services are support services that can include adult day care, meal programs, senior centers, transportation, and other services. These can help people who are cared for at home-and their families. For example, adult day care services provide a variety of health, social, and related support services in a protective setting during the day. This can help adults with impairments-such as Alzheimer's disease-continue to live in the community. And it can give family or friend caregivers a needed "break."
Supportive housing programs offer low-cost housing to older people with low to moderate incomes. State or local governments often develop such housing programs. A number of these facilities offer help with meals and tasks such as housekeeping, shopping, and laundry. Residents generally live in their own apartments.

Assisted living provides 24-hour supervision, assistance, meals, and health care services in a home-like setting. Services include help with eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, taking medicine, transportation, laundry, and housekeeping. Social and recreational activities also are provided.

Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) provide a full range of services and care based on what each resident needs over time. Care usually is provided in one of three main stages: independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing.

Nursing homes offer care to people who cannot be cared for at home or in the community. They provide skilled nursing care, rehabilitation services, meals, activities, help with daily living, and supervision. Many nursing homes also offer temporary or periodic care. This can be instead of hospital care, after hospital care, or to give family or friend caregivers some time off ("respite care").

Another type of long-term care takes place in home-like settings called Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded. They provide a wide variety of services to mentally retarded and developmentally disabled people from youth to old age. Services include treatment to help residents become as independent as possible, as well as health care services.

Various long-term care options are available in areas

• This services can refer be opted from Area Agency on Aging.
• Area Agencies on Aging provide information on a wide variety of community-based services. Examples are meals, home care, adult day care, transportation, housing, home repair, and legal services.
• State or local Long-Term Care Ombudsman (call the Eldercare Locator for the number). Ombudsmen visit nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to check on and resolve complaints, protect residents' rights, and give emotional support to lonely older people. A call to the area Ombudsman can give information on: the most recent State survey (inspection) report of the facility; the number of outstanding complaints; the number and nature of complaints lodged in the last year; and the results of recent complaint investigations.
• "Nursing Home Compare" http://www.medicare.gov/nhcompare/home.asp -- a Web site created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which runs Medicare and Medicaid. This site helps you locate nursing homes in various area. It also has inspection records for nursing homes that receive Medicare or Medicaid funds.
• Hospital discharge planners
• Social workers (some can be "case managers" or "care managers," who can help you coordinate long-term care services)
• Doctors and other health care professionals
• Local nursing facilities
• Volunteer groups that work with older people
• Clergy or religious groups
• Family and friends

Think of long-term care as a menu of services. A person may need only one or a few kinds of services. Or, several kinds may be needed over the course of a person's older years.

To help find out what kind of services you or a loved one need, check the items below that apply. Keep in mind that these needs may change over time.

Do you or your loved one need help with daily activities? Health care needs? Both? You can use the following chart to help you identify the type(s) of long-term care that meet your needs. This chart shows which types of long-term care services offer which kinds of help. The "Relative Costs" information shows how costly the settings can be when compared with each other.

Think of long-term care as a menu of services. A person may need only one or a few kinds of services. Or, several kinds may be needed over the course of a person's older years.