Long Term Care Case Study

Hello Dr. Ullom, majority of the long term care facilities are under staffed. There is usually one registered nurse in charge to manage a 240 bed facility, with LPN's  and nursing assistance. I feel that these patients would benefit from having one RN to every six -eight patients with a nursing assistance. Not only would this benefit the patient but the nurse as well. Patient are placed in long term care facility with a certain problem, but ends up with additional condition such as UTI, MRSA, pressure ulcers, and etc. These issues are related to poor care they receive because of unstaffing. I'm not placing blame on the LPN or nursing assistance, but with a RN and low nurse to patient ratio, they will receive better care.

A variety of services that provides medical and non-medical needs toward individuals who are suffering from chronic illness, disability or old age is known as long-term care. Long- term care meets the needs of individuals who are no longer able to do many activities, which include bathing, dressing, cooking, and using the bathroom. This year, about nine million men and women over the age of 65 will need long-term care (Medicare.gov).

The long-term care system consists of an integrated continuum of many institutional and non-institutional providers who deliver extended care when needed. Long-term care providers distribute a variety of care to individuals with chronic, mobility and/or cognitive impairments/limitations. These providers include: nursing facilities, subacute care, assisted living, residential care, elderly housing options and community based adult services (CBAS) (Pratt, 2010). CBAS is broken down into subdivisions, which include: home health care, hospice care, adult day care and adult day health care (ADHC). ADHC’s falls under the category of non-institutional care, allowing individuals to be independent, stay within their community, live at home, and age in place, while being of high quality and low cost. The ultimate goal of ADHC’s is to keep individuals out of hospitals and nursing homes (institutional care), and allow them to live their life comfortably, independently and in their households with their loved ones (Alteras, 2007).

(Pratt)(2016), “The components of accessibility to long- term care services depend on financial coverage, physical logistics, location, and the degree of complexity of consumer’s needs.” (P62)The role of illness prevention in long-term care is to help the patient live healthier with less hospitalizations, diseases, and treatments. Some incentives that might encourage consumers to use the long-term care system more effectively and efficiently are financial in nature. They could receive tax deductions, credits or both.

Upon arriving at the long-term care facility and noticing that the toe tag on the decedent did not match the removal authorization, I would immediately inform; the decedents doctors, the decedents nurse, or whoever was in charge of the care of the decedents body at the facility. I would also call the funeral home and get instructions on what I should do next. Most likely, I would tell the facility to call the funeral home back after the body had been properly tagged. After the facility called me back, I would come back and transfer the body to the funeral home. I would follow the same procedures for transferring a body, but I would do everything I could to make sure that I was taking the correct body. It would be helpful in identifying the

Growing up with your grandparents has its benefits. I remember waking up to freshly baked biscuits and fried sliced ham on Saturday mornings just before cartoons. Riding to the pharmacy with my grandfather to pick up his medicine was one of my favorite trips. We would always stop for ice cream before we returned home. Soaking in the knowledge that streamed from the lips of your elders can go unappreciated until you are an adult. Watching people age gives you an understanding of what is important to seniors as they transition to retirement and lonIg-term care. Seniors value the ability to live and enjoy a life that includes independence, family, and home. In today's economy, there is a shortage of health care professionals. Home healthcare services are vital due to the aging US population and need for increased continuum of care.

As individuals age, numerous decisions must be made. A person, in conjunction with their loved ones, will need to address matters such as where they will live, how long term care will be paid for (if needed) and who will receive which assets upon their passing. When making medical decisions, one thing that individuals need to keep in mind is their home may need to be sold if they wish to qualify for medicaid. Anyone in need of advice on Medicaid, who qualifies and what assets may be retained while still qualifying should contact a Southington CT Medicaid Planning Attorney.

The demographic of clients in the long term care delivery model has a range that starts in infants and ends with the elderly, this care also includes persons with disabilities (mental and physical). According to Hooyman (2014),”to address escalating health and long-term care costs, the locus of care for older adults and persons with disabilities is shifting from institutional to community-based settings (p.25). Community based settings would fall under the realm of assisted living, nursing homes where there would be onsite staff that included nutritionist to ensure residents had a balanced diet, physicians, certified nurse aides or medical assistants, nurses, physical therapists, pharmacy technicians, and a health care administrator, but a large portion of long term care is also carried out by family members and friends due to the financial costs associated with facility care which offsets the coverage provided by private insurance, Medicaid and Medicare. The ultimate goal is to have a positive outcome and assist the person receiving care in regaining their

Long Term Care (LTC) is an area where change is needed. According to the CDC, by 2030, older adults will account for roughly 72 million of the U.S. population. In 2030, when the last baby boomers turn 65, one in every five Americans will be over the age of 65, and will account for roughly 20% of the population. As the growing population of baby boomers continued to aged they will become more reliant on long term care services. Nurses will be at the forefront of providing care to this demographic of the population. Leadership and accountability are needed in long term care to provide efficient care to the aging population.

The long-term care system is aimed at providing continued care to individuals both in facilities and at home. Many people associate long-term care specifically with nursing and assisted living facilities, but long-term care is so much more. This care can be provided to an individual whether they are home or in a specialized facility (National Institute on Aging, 2017). In essence, the system of long-term care involves the coordination of facilities, providers, and case manager support to provide the best quality of care for individuals.

The three systems consist of hospitals, long-term care, and the mental and behavioral health system. Hospitals before the 17 and 1800’s were institutions for the poor and sick. Middle class people preferred to receive their care in the comfort of their own homes. Hospitals have evolved tremendously since the 17 and 1800’s. All people are treated in hospitals today, despite their social class. The key factors of hospitals are to deliver care for acute illnesses and injuries and maintain advanced technology. Many hospitals provide specialized centers in order to provide the best care for patients. Because hospitals are overcrowded, the goal is to stabilize the patient, and send them home to follow up with their primary care physician for further treatment. Hospitals are under constant pressure to admit only the patients that are facing life threatening illnesses. Technology is the driving force behind transforming healthcare. Patients will gravitate to hospitals that provide the latest technology for the best treatment options. Technology can also reduce stress, improve errors, and reduce healing time for certain surgeries. Long-term care is for those requiring more

With the healthcare industry becoming more competitive, healthcare organizations like Long-Term Care facilities are finding better ways to improve quality, safety, and their medical outcomes (Schulingkamp & Latham, 2015). Many LTC organizations are improving their performance of how they operate in delivering care by following the elements of a high-reliability organization, as well as the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program criteria. By LTC organizations following the Baldrige Model criteria, it inheres to a sound platform for attaining the achievement of a high-reliability organization (Griffith, Jan/Feb 2015). In addressing the Board of Directors of a LTC organization, I will outline the required elements of a high-reliability organization based on the above Matrix Chart and the criteria needed to meet for the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program.

Borrayo, Salmon, Polivka, and Dunlop (2002) assert that fostering a closer connection with eldercare services and providers and the needs of the community will demonstrate the importance for policymakers regarding long-term care now and in the future as the aging population continues to increase. Byrd, Fletcher and Menifield (2007) state evidence supports that health disparities regarding minority older adults are a problem that can no longer be overlooked. The authors offer that individual healthcare providers must acknowledge that the problem exists and assess their practices concerning combating issues of disparities (Byrd et al., 2007). They posit that older adults in minority communities incur a higher percentage for missed diagnoses,

Since the area of long-term health care is constantly evolving the manager must be able to prepare for changes that could affect the organization. These changes could involve federal regulations, state and local polices, and accrediting agencies (Dana & Olson, 2007). This requires the ability to be open-minded and creative to embrace the opportunity for improvement. The manager must be able to plan ahead to ensure the organization is not blindsided by these changes. However, in order to better adapt to these changes, the manager must have a strong base to work from. The implementation of changes may be costly so the manager must be able to determine the capability of the organization’s funding abilities. Mangers that are able to budget costs

This study was conducted by Kaasalainen et al. who were encouraged to design practical procedures that aimed to improve client-centred care in long-term care facilities. The methodology consisted of Rogers theory of diffusion of innovations which showed to be a successful method because it focused on improving communications methods, enhancing staff performance and involving staff in the decision-making process of quality improvement initiatives. By using a participatory method, they collected data by conducting focus groups, structured interviews, and two surveys to understand the perceptions of the staff better. Their work provides an overview of some of the barriers that hinder being able to enhance the quality of care for residents. One of the biggest obstacles was the staffing shortages and increased workloads of the medical staff that acted as a barrier to achieving new innovations.