This research described a political intervention designed to alleviate the problem of funding for long term health care for the elderly. Most of the 10 percent of the population requiring long term care for chronic ailments are elderly. Where only 10 percent of the total population requires long term care, 50 percent of those individuals aged 80 years or older require such care.
The proposed political intervention is to lobby for a fully funded national health care insurance program for all persons aged 65 and older. Power restructuring is required to succeed in implementing a national health care system for the elderly, because the traditional power in the US tends to believe in self funding. Through the use of expert power and personal power, the invested power base legislative representatives must be induced to restructure traditional values towards the funding of health care in the US.
Negotiation will be required to create a restructuring of traditional power values. What must be negotiated are the specifics of services and funding. What must not be negotiated is the basic concept of federal funding of health care for the elderly.
A political action committee must both coordinate and do most of the communication with Congress members. Letter writing campaigns should also be considered, but only in coordination with the efforts of the political action committee. The political action committee must create a network of parties at interest. In this instance, other parties with a vested interest include health care providers, social service agencies, and younger family members of elderly persons. The political action committee should both coordinate and conduct most of the liaison with media representatives.
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this research is to outline a political intervention designed to alleviate the problem of funding for ...