Long-Term Care Flashcards
How is long-term care defined?
Long-term care, unlike acute care, is not so much defined by acuity but rather by activities of daily living (ADLs): These ADLs are:
Bathing Eating Toileting Ambulating Medicating
What is long-term care?
Ohhhhhh boy, this is a big one! So, long-term care is assistance for people with chronic mental/physical illnesses and/or conditions.
What is the “continuum” of long term care?
From most serious/assistance to least:
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) - Constant help/supervision from a nurse. Also known as a rest home.
Nursing Home - General nursing care and more help needed with ADLs. More interaction with a RN.
Assisted Living - More assistance needed, but still independent on the whole
Home Care - occasional care/therapy needed.
What different kinds of therapy are offered by long-term care and rehab?
Physical Therapy - Alternative to drugs/surgery etc.
Respiratory Therapy - Obvious
Speech Therapy - Obvious
Occupational Therapy - specific help in daily activities (after something that would impair that). Think of the woman relearning how to cook after stroke.
What are the percentages of people who need long-term care?
Under 65: 42%
Over 65: 58%
Overall, what’s medicare’s role in long-term care?
Medicare doesn’t pay much, on the whole, for long-term care (nothing, if you look at it from the class perspective). What Medicare does cover is 100 days of acute care/rehab per incident/diagnosis. After that, it’s out of pocket for patients.
Who or what entity pays the majority of long-term care?
Private pay is the majority of long-term care (out of pocket). Medicaid does play a role once people have drained their expenses to a certain amount, but until then it’s all private.
At what bed limit do you have to have a dietician?
At 26 beds or more you are required to hire a dietician.
What’s the Older Americans Act? (OAA)
How about Medicare?
It was enacted in 1965. It was directed towards providing social services and other comforts/services to Americans age 60 or above in the home and community.
Medicare enables care/coverage for those ages 65 and older.
What is the main professional/advocacy organization that represents the long-term care industry?
American Health Care Association (AHCA)
What are the three main issues managers run into?
- HR (LTC can’t pay nurses as much)
- Financing the operation
- Benefits and liability (awkward providing insurance to some and not others, low wages, liability is expensive, etc…).
