Understanding Long Term CareLong Term Care (LTC) is a complex system of providing basic support for the sick and injured beyond the traditional hospital setting. When we think of long term care, the first thought is nursing homes. Truth is, only a fraction of LTC patients reside in nursing homes. Currently, there is a major effort at the federal level to reduce the number of nursing home admissions in the future. With the aging of the the "baby-boomer" generation, we can expect a four to six fold increase in the need for LTC service.
So, if only a fraction of the elderly are residing in nursing homes, where are all of the other LTC patients? Some patients reside in Assisted Living Facilities, others at home placing the full burden of LTC on family members. In today's American society, most families do not have the luxury of hiring 24-hour care in the private setting. Again, this places a tremendous physical and emotional burden on family members.
Is LTC working in America? The answer to this is yes and no. In order to fully understand LTC we must examine each component, analysis the benefit and risks associated with each component, and develop a strategy to provide quality, beneficial care to those needing service. This is not an easy or even an inexpensive task.
To assist you in understanding LTC, we will analyze each segment, present the pros and cons, and hopefully provide suggestions to planning a rational strategy to improve quality, reduce or maintain current cost models, obtain quality data for future planning.
Skilled Nursing Facilities (Nursing Homes)
Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) and Nursing Homes (NH) often are terms that are interchanged. Truly a SNF employs sub-acute or post-acute treatments or rehabilitation to improve function or strength to a level at or near pre-injury or pre-illness levels. Often, these services are paid for by Medicare funds and involve documented improvement in the Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Routine nursing care is often provided by non-skilled units in most nursing homes. All SNF and NH admissions required a qualifying diagnosis and certification of medical necessity.
Skilled Nursing Facilities and Nursing Homes are some of the most regulated institutions in America. All SNF and NH must comply with federal regulations regarding the minimum services provided. You can learn more about these regulations by visiting: