Image by Getty Images via Daylife
The high cost of long-term care and the economic downturn are creating significant financial planning challenges for Florida’s elderly population, according to a newly released study by Genworth Financial.
Nationwide, the annual cost of a private nursing home room is $74,208, or $203 a day, up 4 percent a year since 2005, according to the study……
Study: Long-term care costs on the rise - South Florida Business Journal:
Image via Wikipedia
On Tuesday, April 28, 2009, the House Veterans’ Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, led by Chairman Harry Mitchell (D-AZ), conducted a hearing to evaluate the newly implemented Federal Recovery Coordination Program (FRCP). The Subcommittee examined the effectiveness of the FRCP which was established in October 2007 and went into operation in January 2008. The Subcommittee also assessed if outreach efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has succeeded in bringing coordinated care to veterans who were injured prior to the launch of the FRCP….
A new manual from the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign created with support from the Commonwealth Fund seeks to address this issue by offering nursing home staff an evidence-based guide to preparing, implementing, and sustaining clinical and cultural changes.
Implementing Change in Long-Term Care: A Practical Guide for Transformation (pdf) is a 134-page manual written by Barbara Bowers, Ph.D., R.N., Kim Nolet, B.S., Tonya Roberts, B.S., R.N., and Sarah Esmond, M.S., of the University Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing, and published in April 2009.
In its introduction, eight chapters, and four appendices, the manual offers various strategies for developing:
- person-centered care and culture change models
- strong leadership
- effective teams
- skilled staff
- preparation activities and organizational assessments
- accountability systems
Manual Offers Guidance for Culture Change in LTC at PHInational.org
Most Interesting Site…..
Patient Advocate Foundation is a national non-profit organization that seeks to safeguard patients through effective mediation assuring access to care, maintenance of employment and preservation of their financial stability relative to their diagnosis of life threatening or debilitating diseases.
Image via Wikipedia
…..The study was a confirmatory case series following a positive large 108-patient randomized controlled study published in 2008 on a similar patient population, all of whom suffered from non-healing VLUs, a particularly painful and difficult-to-heal chronic wound. In the recent case series, 11 patients were enrolled with VLUs that had not healed with other advanced wound care modalities - including the gold standard multi-layered compression, as well as silver antimicrobial dressings, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and antibiotic therapy - for at least 4 months' duration. The study was designed to measure the percentage of wounds that healed in the standard timeframe of 12 weeks, but all 11 wounds healed within 6 weeks, with over half healing within 4 weeks.
According to Dr Hanft, "As renewed interest in the use of sterile, medical-grade honey to achieve wound closure increases, justified by increased scientific and clinical data, the healing potential of MEDIHONEY may serve as a pivotal clinical decision to accelerate the closure of recalcitrant wounds of the lower extremity."…..
Clinician Reports Fast Healing Of Intractable Wounds Using MEDIHONEY(R)
Caring for a loved one can be a rewarding experience, but it can oftentimes be challenging and stressful work. Taking steps to plan ahead can make a significant difference in relieving stress and help to lighten the caregiver's load….
Family Caregiving 101, a Web site launched by the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), advises potential care providers to start by learning about eldercare issues such as Medicare, living wills and powers of attorney.
"Caregivers should also make it a point to know who their loved one's physicians are, the medications they take and why, and details about their condition," said Perry. "This information can better prepare them for unusual situations that may be encountered when caring for someone. It can also help plan future care needs."….
Planning Ahead Can Help Caregivers
Lots of new pictures at TwitPic link below and lots of new Tweets at http://twitter.com/NationalADAPT. Today brings SEIU, ADAPT, and NCIL together to rally for the Community Choice Act at Noon. There will be lots of pictures and Tweets, so keep following the action. Hundreds attending!!!
You can follow all the Action action on National Adapt’s Twitter Account. Sign up as a follower and get the arrests as they are happening. Today is the Rally with hundreds of people pressing for passage of the CCA.
NationalADAPT (NationalADAPT) on Twitter
ADAPT Action II - Taking the message to Congress!
Tell congressional leaders that CCA must be part of healthcare reform.04/28/2009 UPDATE: Approximately 100 people were arrested on capitol hill at noon today.
Despite high hopes of inclusion of the Community Choice Act in healthcare reform, ADAPT has received a clear message from Congressional leadership - "no." ADAPT members have met with Representatives and Senators and their staff to stress the critical need to reform long term care by passing the Community Choice Act as part of national healthcare reform.
Despite the demand by 100s of organizations across the nation, Congressional leaders continue to refuse to address long term services and supports as part of healthcare reform.…..
The Center for Disability Rights - Free Our People
