UPSA members and LTC Choices

LTC choices for UPSA members Introduction LTC (Long Term Care) is an attempt at assisting people of any age with their daily activities and/or medical needs for an extended duration of time (WebMD, 2019). This type of care may be offered in various care facilities, inside a community, and at home. This is an educational brochure focusing on LTC choices for UMUC Premier Student Association (UPSA).

When seeking for long term care it is necessary to bear in mind that quality is likely to vary based on the caregiver and/or place where the LTC is provided. It is fundamental to critically think and assess the alternatives available prior to making a decision. Arriving at an LTC decision may be quite difficult even when sufficient planning has been done.

One of the quick ways to assess the quality of care is to verify that the LTC service is established and/or accredited by the state agency and widely confirmed as delivering quality care, offers the services required, the caregivers satisfy the client needs, and the services provided are within the set budget (WebMD, 2019).

In order to further enhance the chances of making the correct choice it is important to consider the available options in light of the client and family needs including the financial, emotional, medical, and physical needs (WebMD, 2019). In order to obtain the best possible LTC services it is also fundamental to have good comprehension of the LTC care categories. Discussed below are some of the LTC care categories. · Palliative Care Palliative care can be defined as expert/dedicated medical care for the people who have serious illnesses (GetPallicativeCare.org, 2019).

Palliative care focuses on relieving the sick patient from their stress and symptoms caused by the acute illness (GetPallicativeCare.org, 2019). The objective of palliative care is to enhance life quality for the patient and their family. This type of care is provided by specialized and highly trained nurses, doctors, and other health experts (GetPallicativeCare.org, 2019). The experts work hand in hand with other doctors to offer layered professional support (GetPallicativeCare.org, 2019). Palliative care is suitable for any age and can be offered at any stage of an illness.

Palliative care can be offered simultaneously with remedial/therapeutic treatment (GetPallicativeCare.org, 2019). · Hospice Care Hospice care is the type of care designed to offer support to the category of people who are battling terminal illnesses (MedicineNet, 2018). The focus of hospice care is to offer quality life and comfort to the patient instead of trying to cure the terminal illness (MedicineNet, 2018).

The objective is to make it possible for patients to enjoy some comfort and get some pain relief in order to make it possible for them to live each day as comfortably and as fully as possible (WebMD, n.d.). Hospice care may entail extreme ways of trying to control pain (MedicineNet, 2018). The general arrangement for hospice programs is home based care although hospice programs may at times be provided in another venue (MedicineNet, 2018). Some of the hospice facilities may include hospitals, nursing homes, and freestanding facilities.

Hospitals have a philosophy of providing spiritual, social, and emotional support for patients’ needs concurrently with medical support in order to offer wholesome treatment for the patient (MedicineNet, 2018). Generally, hospice programs employ the multidisciplinary group approach (MedicineNet, 2018). This approach may entail the support of social workers, clergy, doctor, and nurse in the provision of care (MedicineNet, 2018).

Some of the provided services include pain control using drugs, and other symptom management plans including speech therapy, occupational, and physical therapy, medical, equipment, and medical supplies social services, dietary counseling and other types of counseling, bereavement services, and sustained homecare services during times of need (MedicineNet, 2018). The objective of hospice care is not to cure terminal illnesses although the program may entail treating conditions that are potentially curable like bladder infections and pneumonia with some transitory stay at the hospital where necessary (MedicineNet, 2018). Hospice programs provide respite care personnel.

The respite care personnel are trained volunteers responsible for taking over patient care in order to give the family some relief and opportunity to take care of other things (MedicineNet, 2018). Volunteer care forms part of the philosophy of a hospice. Hospice is a term that comes from the Latin word ‘hospitium’ in reference to a guesthouse (MedicineNet, 2018). Hospice versus Palliative Care In some ways palliative care is similar to hospice care although there are some fundamental differences.

An excess of 90% of hospice care happens to be funded through Medicare hospice program (Vitas Healthcare, n.d). Due to this fact patients at a hospice have to meet the eligibility requirements for Medicare. Palliative care does not require patients to meet these eligibility requirements (Vitas Healthcare, n.d). Hospice care has been defined as the compassionate care (which does not include restoration care) for terminally ill patients who have has a prognosis extending for 6 months of lesser as estimated by the physician (Vitas Healthcare, n.d).

Palliative care entails compassionate care that provides some relief from mental and physical stress and symptoms from life threatening or serious illnesses (Vitas Healthcare, n.d). Palliative care could be initiated at the diagnosis stage, during the restoration process, and can be followed up till the end of life stage (WebMD, n.d.). Palliative and hospice care are both intended to relief symptoms and pain (Vitas Healthcare, n.d).

To become eligible for hospice care 2 physicians must certify that there has been 6 months of less of life left if the terminal illness takes the expected course (NIH, n.d.). Palliative care can be started at patients and physician’s discretion during any stage or time of the terminal illness or otherwise (WebMD, n.d.). Palliative and hospice care are both delivered by interdisciplinary teams (NIH, n.d.). The teams are responsible for handling spiritual, emotional, and physical pain.

This entails conditions such as usual worries, concerns about family wellbeing, the feeling of being a burden to others, and losing one’s independence (Vitas Healthcare, n.d). Hospice care is fully paid by Medicare, private insurance, and Medicaid (Vitas Healthcare, n.d). This is the only category of benefits that entails medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, 24/7 care access, chaplain visits, social services, support during grief for loss of a loved one as well as other appropriate services as judged by the hospice agency involved (Vitas Healthcare, n.d).

Palliative care, including prescription charges and office visits, is funded by the insurer, through charity or by the patient themselves (Vitas Healthcare, n.d). Hospice care will be delivered to the patient at their home or venues such as hospice residences, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, and veteran facilities etc. (Vitas Healthcare, n.d). Palliative care is typically delivered in hospital facilities. It is important to consult with the doctor to determine whether hospice or palliative care is likely to improve the life quality.

· Home Care This care is delivered at home by volunteers, friends, family members, or/and professionals who are under pay (WebMD, 2019). This category of care may include services such as shopping, nursing care, meal planning, preparation and cooking, grooming etc. Some of the short lived skilled care (offered by a therapist or nurse) are covered under Medicare and are referred to as home healthcare (WebMD, 2019). · Assisted Living This type of care entails 24-hour guardianship, healthcare, meals, and assistance services delivered in a setting that is home-like (WebMD, 2019).

Some of the services in this category include transportation, housekeeping, laundry, taking medication, toileting, and dressing, bathing, and eating. Recreational and social activities may be included as well. · Alternative service venues Community services detail support services which may entail adult day care programs, transportation, and senior centers (WebMD, 2019). There are community based alternatives to nursing homes that can help minimizing spending and offer quality care for people living with their families and at home.

Adult day care services, for instance, offer various social, health and such-like support services under protective daycare settings (WebMD, 2019). This helps the elderly people with impairments like disability, Dementia, and Alzheimer’s to continue with their lives in a community. Other alternative care venues include the support housing programs and CCRCs (Continuing Care Retirement Communities) (WebMD, 2019). Intermediate care venues are also appropriate for the people who are mentally retarded (WebMD, 2019). They offer various services to the mentally retarded and for those who have developmental disabilities. Intermediate care.