Healthcare
America has a highly developed health care system, which is available to all people. Although it can be very complex and frustrating at times it has come a long way from the health care organizations of yesterday. Previously most health care facilities were a place where the sick were housed and cared for until death. Physicians rarely practiced in hospitals and only those who were fortunate could afford proper care at home or in private clinics. Today the level of health care has excelled tremendously. Presently the goal of our health care is to have a continuum of care for the patient, one which is integrated on all levels. Many hospitals offer a referral service or discharge plan to patients who are being discharged. Plans for the patient are discussed with a discharge planner. The discharge planner is a person who is trained in assessing what the patient's requirements for health care will be after discharge from the hospital. This enables the patient to continue their care at a level which is most appropriate for them. Items reviewed for discharge planning include but are not limited to therapies, medication needs, living arrangements and identification of specific goals. A few of the options t
Unfortunately, if the care to be given within the home is termed "not medically necessary" the expense is not covered. This can include items such as meal and medication delivery, a percentage of necessary durable medical equipment, personal care and homemaker services. My employment within a home health care agency has allowed for review of services that are not covered by Medicare and/or private insurance. Health care services that are not included can become quite numerous. It is often difficult for family members to understand why specific services are not covered especially when they appear to be necessary for the care of the patient. These costs can add up quite quickly and the impact of the cost can become quite distressing for family members and patients on a limited budget. In these cases a Social Worker is usually provided to help the patient and family explore other avenues which may enable them to cover their health care costs. The article The Continuum of Long term Care emphasizes "The philosophy of hospice is that terminally ill individuals should be allowed to maintain life during their final days in as natural and comfortable a setting as possible" (p. 198). The quality of life of the terminally ill patients relies heavily on the psychosocial skills of their health care team. The health care team consists of a physician, nurse, social worker, chaplain, home health aide and volunteers. The team develops an individual care plan which will provide an appropriate support system for the patient and their family up to and beyond the patient's death. Weekly meetings allow the team to focus on the changing needs of the patient and make adjustments to their plan. Although there are many options other than those listed for health care after discharge from a hospital, The most important aspect for a person is to be well informed and knowledgeable about the variety of options available. It can be very confusing, especially to an elderly person when talk of finances, regulations and covered and non-covered items are discussed. It is our responsibility as future health care administrators to provide adequate information to the person who is opting for alternatives to health care. Long term-care is very expensive and it often becomes a financial catastrophe for the elderly person and their family. Private insurance is unlikely to cover the full cost of care and Medicare only pays for a limited amount. The person usually must eliminate a substantial amount of their assets to become eligible for Medicaid which covers long term care. According to Growing Old In America "In order for elderly persons to qualify for nursing home care under Medicaid, they usually must reduce their personal financial status to the poverty level (p. 119-120). Hospice care can be received in a variety of organizational settings. The most
Some common words found in the essay are:
Growing America, Aging Hospice, Introduction America, Living Assisted, Organizations JCAHO, Medicare Medicare, Debated Unlicensed, Care Home, Care Long-term, Medicaid JCAHO, health care, assisted living, home health, term care, home health care, care home, hospice care, home care, long-term care, care facility, living facility, assisted living facility, assisted living facilities, health care organizations, long-term care facility,
Approximate Word count = 1916
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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