AARP seminar on LTC

[oramar]

I was up watching Pa Cable Network in wee hours. Right now Pa legislature is looking at changes in the way LTC is funded. There are actually a small number of states that have really progressive LTC programs. Washington state and Vermont being two but their are some others. Some of the things these states do really opened my eyes. Here are just a few. They have a single entry point for people who are in need of services of any kind in long term care realm, including homecare of any kind, nursing home, PCH, assisted living. One phone call to make, one agency to contact and it puts the whole system into play. Just contrast that with Pennsylvania where there is such a plethora of entry points that most people do not even attempt to access them. In addition all sorts of LTC support is considered important and is reimbursed by the progressive states, including all homecare options and institutional options. Startling, the states that are progressive pay family members a living wage to stay home and care for family members that would otherwise be in institutions. Towards the end of the seminar they said something that had me cheering. They said in order to insure good quality of care for people that need it is necessary to make sure that workers have living wages and benefits. They said that the rapid turn over of caregivers is directly responsible for bad patient outcomes. They emphasized that the dignity of caregivers can't be separated from the dignity of the people that recieve care. In Washington state all caregivers are represented by unions whether they are in the home or in the nursing home. The whole program brought home to me how big our LTC problems are here in Pennsylvania. At least we know we have a problem and are beginning to face up to it.

[oramar]

Tomorrow, 2/2 at 2pm they are repeating this program. Hummm, maybe I should play 222 on the lotto.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Hopefully they will model this after their Special Kids Program, where one call will link you to info for chilren with disabilities and rare diseases.

From my SE corner of PA, I'm constatly linking people to Senior services.

With all the Medicare insurance plan changes these days, I talk with Medicare hotline almost daily clarifying insurance plans and helping people get MC drug coverage.

Running that tpye of prgram would be right up my alley.