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Long-Term Care: A Case Study

Decent Essays

There are three systems of healthcare discussed in the text, each offering different levels and types of care. Hospitals are the first system. Hospitals began as an institution for the poor and offered little therapy (Williams & Torrens, 2008). Now hospitals are focused on health care and offer highly specialized services. While the number of hospitals have decreased in recent years from 7,156 in 1975 to 5,764 in 2003, expenditures have increased from 9.2 billion in 1960 to 500 billion in 2003 (Williams & Torrens, 2008). Hospitals can be structured in one of two ways: horizontal or vertical integration. Horizontal integration consists of similar unites of production that are affiliated with one another. This helps the hospitals to operate …show more content…

Long-term care is centered to the care of individuals with physical or mental health disabilities. The goal of long-term care is to assist individuals in remaining as independent as possible (Williams & Torrens, 2008). There are three concepts to understand when discussing long-term care. An individual can have one or more functional disabilities which are basic activities of daily living (ADL) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). ADL’s consist of toileting, grooming, feeding, and walking. IADL’s consist of money management, taking medications, housekeeping, and grocery shopping (Williams & Torrens, 2008). Another concept that could require an individual to need long-term care is chronic conditions. This means that the condition is expected to last more than three months. This could be a physical condition like congestive heart failure or a mental condition like schizophrenia. Lastly, impairment such as blindness or loss of a limb could result in the need for long-term care. Long-term care can also be necessary for a temporary situation like recovery from surgery or a major illness like pneumonia. Long-term care comes in many different delivery systems. Extended inpatient care is a common avenue for long-term care. Nursing facilities offer round the clock care for mentally or developmentally disabled individuals as well as the elderly will long-term illnesses. Home health agencies are also a common long-term care avenue. …show more content…

One awesome advantage is the fact that there are agencies that are there to help. Many times family members are just not able to care for their loved one. There are many, many options for long-term care available in the United States. A disadvantage of long-term care is the cost. Some services are covered under medical insurance, but many are not. Many services like in home personal care are self-pay, and they can get expensive. However, an advantage is that many companies are now offering long-term care insurance. This type of insurance will pay for many things that are not covered under regular health insurance. The question says from my perspective. A disadvantage I see is that many nursing homes are dreadful places. Some can be dark and lonely. Of course not all are like this. It is important to look around and chose the best option for the individual in

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