Nursing Homes
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The number of elderly who are living longer is on the rise because of new methods of treatments, new medications and use of medical technology to improve their life span. On any given day, nursing homes, or as many are now called, "long-term care facilities", are caring for about one in twenty Americans over the age of 65. Almost half of all Americans turning 65 this year will be admitted into a nursing home at least once. It is projected that in 2020, 40 percent of Americans will die in nursing homes. As the numbers increase in utilization of nursing homes, there is increasing concern about cost, quality and access- concerns that need to get attention. The purpose of this research paper is to discuss what has been done in recent years and what can be done in the future to make long term care better for the elderly who are no longer able to care for themselves. We will also look at the impact of cost, quality and access of Medicare, Medicaid and new technology in nursing homes. We need to establish what nursing homes are, and how they operate. Nursing homes can vary by type of ownership, type of certification, the number of beds, and the region of the country. When and if a decision must be made about placing an elderly person in a nursing home, no matter what its title, care must be taken that it is a "skilled nursing facility- a government category for a Medicare-certified, state-licensed organization that must provide room and board as well as
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g them familiarized with the patients. The patients themselves often have come to depend on a special nurse or orderly, and when they leave and someone else comes in fresh, the rapport must be reestablished. Sometimes this causes a setback for some of the most fragile parents. However, if the facility is determined to keep good, productive employees, it means raising their pay, which then has to be reflected in increased rates for patients and their families.
The most important aspect of trained employees who stay at the facility is that patients have little contact except with one another and the staff. While patients love to share memories and experiences with others in the facility, they depend on the staff to take care of them and give them a sense of hope.
As vital as avoiding huge turnover is the training given to the facilities' staff. There have been many reports in the news about people being abandoned in their rooms, leaving them sometimes for a day or more lying in their own feces or urine. There have been reports of over- or under-medication, accidents, and even physical abuse. By the time a facility's administration becomes aware of such problems, it may already be too late for some residents. Accidents can be minor
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Medicare Medicaid, Medicaid JCAHO, Baby Boomer, Medicaid Medigap, Cost Issues, Growing America, Homes Introduction, Medicaid Pieper, Part Medicare, Kathy Robertson, nursing homes, nursing home, health care, long-term care, home care, medicare medicaid, care facilities, home health care, long-term care facilities, home health, technology nursing homes, nursing home care, technology nursing, access major, long-term care facility,
Approximate Word count = 2792
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)
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