Issues Faced by Aging Services
Introduction
Care for the elderly has become a challenge for many in the society. This care is important for the well-being of the people who have spent years taking care of their children and grandchildren. This is an important issue, because, while many are more than willing to take on the challenge of taking care of their elderly relatives, it is a difficult task that needs not only good intentions and love, but the expertise of a multidisciplinary team. The team can provide experience that will support, or augment the family’s efforts. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities can provide the care they need, but these facilities are riddled with many problems. This paper will show the difference between assisted living and nursing homes and how they are regulated by law.
An unprecedented challenge is faced by Americans who have retired relatives. The amount of people who reach retirement age is supposed to double by the year 2030. This shows an increase of 20%, up from 12% of the population of the US. In order to have a modicum of dignity, or independence, these retirees will require a varied approach with social services and professional health, in addition to in-home care. Providing parents and grandparents with high quality care needs a caring team of experts.
According to a landmark report from the (IOM) Institute of Medicine, “Retooling for the Aging America: Building the Healthcare Workforce.” a significant shortage exists in the workforce that is currently available for the care of the adults in our society. This figure is expected to increase when other elders retire. Eldercare is expected to become the fastest growing area in the health-care industry. By enhancing the skills and expertise of the caregivers, we provide a much needed boost to our infrastructure and improve the quality of the care that our elder relatives require.
In order to facilitate these needs, the policymakers are required to address the training, recruitment, retention and compensation issues that the caregivers now face. The Affordable Care Act would have been amended when a voluntary, new, long-term insurance program was instituted and dubbed the Community Living Assistance Services and Support Program or CLASS. This act is supposed to allow the elderly population to make plans for long term care while they age, but would stay at home and not be forced to use up their savings on a nursing home. CLASS was not implemented, but suspended as opponents of congress are of the opinion that the program needed to be repealed .
There has been no alternative solutions for the issue faced by millions of elders in our society. several entities that represent the seniors and disabled people still think that CLASS should be implemented. In over 20 years, the assisted living facilities have seen a dramatic transformation. It had begun as a grassroots facility that was supposed to create a humane, innovative alternative to the nursing homes, which are more strictly regulated. Assisted living has become a multi- billion dollar facility, which accommodates approximately 750,000 seniors in America (Allen, 2013).
The facilities, which were supposed to provide meals, housing and assistance to the elderly who were unable to live by themselves, has become a problem for the relatives. Studies have shown that many residents of the assisted living facilities are ill, or suffer from an onset of dementia. The caregivers who are responsible for their care are supposed to monitor their medication and provide safety for the ones who face challenges. They are also responsible for the ones who are incapacitated and present a threat to themselves and to others.
For many states, the regulations for these facilities are less than adequate. In spite of the growing demand for workers, the bar is set at a lower level than it is for regular health-care workers. The educational requirements for workers are minimal and so too, are the qualifications. In fourteen states, one being Minnesota, administrators are not required to have a high school diploma. Illinois law requires that they attain a minimum age of sixteen years and in Colorado, there is no requirement for nurses who are licensed, as a part of the staff complement of the facility. With the regulatory scheme of most states, the owner of the assisted care facilities are at liberty in deciding the amount of staff for their facilities.
Staffing ratios were set in fourteen states. California law mandates that in a facility with two hundred senior residents, an overnight shift requires only two workers who need no medical training and one is allowed to sleep. Mississippi requires one caregiver to be on duty for every fifteen residents, during the day and one for each twenty five residents at nights. In comparison to nursing homes, the outside monitoring that is given to assisted living facilities are minor. Based on federal guidelines, nursing homes should be inspected at least one time, for each fifteen month period. With assisted living facilities, there can be a five year interval for inspections in several states. Five states, including South Carolina, does not require regular inspections (Boult et al., 2009)
In some parts of the US, the regulators of the assisted living facilities face minimal consequences for even serious accidents that occur in the facility. Every state has the power to close facilities that are riddled with problems. Many impose a fine for a violation in the safety standard. These fines are normally a minimal amount. Fines in California amount to a minimal $150. if an elderly resident suffered death because of inadequate care. Families can go online to compare the records of a nursing home, but there are few resources for assisted living. In twenty two states, the records are not posted online.
Residents and their families are required to visit the facilities for the information they need. In Texas, however, the Department of Aging and Disability Services routinely posts data for assisted living facilities. These records are destroyed after a period of five years, so it is difficult to establish a pattern, or highlight problems that occur over the years.
An uncle of a friend of mine, who was an elderly patient in an assisted care facility, was left unattended and ended up falling from a three-story window to his death. There were no nurses on hand to prevent it from happening. No charges were brought against the facility, even though the family was distraught and tried to seek legal action. They were paying thousands of dollars for his care in the facility. I think stricter laws need to be imposed on the regulation of the elder care facilities. The caregivers should not just be doing their jobs for the money, but because they love what they are doing.
The older patients in the elder care facilities are faced with complex health issues, this needs to be assessed and addressed, but the shortage of available health care workers outnumbers this need. There are not enough who understand the complexity of the job requirements and possess the skills, or knowledge to properly care for them. Some people, for whatever reason, outlive others, there needs to be a fundamental change in the administration of their health care needs (Bowling, 1982).
The educational and professional requirements to work in these facilities should be a lot more, as the elderly are parents of the nation and should be recognized and cared for, as such. If caregivers love what they are doing, they will do it to the best of their abilities and the safety of the elderly residents in such a facility would not be compromised. Stricter fines should be imposed on the crimes that are perpetrated by these facilities and their workers. Too many are getting away with out of court settlements, so the problem still exist.
In conclusion, the current laws that exist for assisted living facilities are too minimal, as they have to do with the endangerment of people. no matter how old they are, they are still people, who were entrusted in the care of the facility. I am also of the opinion that petitions should be signed to try to get lawmakers to take a more proactive action towards the future of elder-care. Then, and only then, will the care and love that our elders require in their twilight years be of importance to those who are given the task to care for them.
References
Allen, J. (2013). Resident satisfaction in assisted living. Geriatric Nursing, 34(5), 433. doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2013.07.010
Boult, C., Green, A., Boult, L., Pacala, J., Snyder, C., & Leff, B. (2009). Successful Models of Comprehensive Care for Older Adults with Chronic Conditions: Evidence for the Institute of Medicine's âRetooling for an Aging Americaâ Report. Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society, 57(12), 2328-2337. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2009.02571.x
Bowling, A. (1982). Primary health care in residential homes for the elderly. BMJ, 284(6308), 48-49. doi:10.1136/bmj.284.6308.48-d
