My Family's Experience with LTC

Each person has some relationship with long term care, whether they be 15 years old in a nursing home due to an end stage renal disease, or they be 25 and have a grandparent in a nursing home. My relationship to long term care is my grandmother. She is not using long term care personally at the moment, but in the event that the situation does arise, the steps she would have to take to make sure the funds are in line, are pretty interesting. The situation with my grandmother also let's me see the difference between generations, their health, and health management.
My grandmother married a black man in the 1950's, when it just want not acceptable to have an interracial marriage. Because of their relationship, at that time, my grandmother, for whatever reasons, was not able to be put on my grandfather's Will, her name was not on the house with his, nor was she to be the beneficiary of any of his insurance benefits, sad I know. My grandfather passed a little over 15 years ago, to liver cancer, and my grandmother was left with nothing. She went from living a very comfortable life of a thriving tile business owner, to a widow with no insurance, income, or house, technically because her name is not on the house. My grandmother had never worked a job, and had an education equivalent to that of a middle schooler. She did not think to inquire about her health or living situation and assumed everything would be fine until she found out she was border line diabetic. Long story short, she had no health coverage, and is not resorting to the unfavorable idea of a reverse mortgage. The only problem is the house is not in her name. She is going through many loops to get this reverse mortgage to take care of her medical bills and other expenses. She is not educated on Medicare, which I am sure she would be applicable for, but older, stubborn, southern women, would rather do everything their way, and don't bother with complicated paperwork. The problem is, that upon my grandmother's death, the burden of the reverse mortgage payment falls on her eight children. This is unfortunate that these great lengths have to be taken to make sure that someone can be taken care of in the long run. All she wants to be taken care of, who is to say in a few years she won't need a home help aide, or to be put in an assisted living facility. She is to stubborn to stay in a nursing home, I know, but she does do a lot of senior activities with an adult day care type program. She is fortunate to have 8 children to fund her expenses, but is also sad that the things she is doing to make sure that she will always be able to be taken care of have to be so extensive.
Lastly, with this situation going on, I see the difference in health care management between generations. For example, my father, who is hard working individual and has been with the same company over 20 years, which allows him retirement before 50 years of age, is extremely dedicated to investing money in ANY type of fund, stock, or holding, that will allow him to profit more form it in the future. I think it is interesting that he takes the time to read and invest in beneficial things, where as his parents are using health care resources that fund the bare minimum, which is sad. But hopefully continued education and motivation will allow all future generations to have a healthy and convenient future.

“Changes in Medicaid Rules May Pose Stark Choice for the Chronically Ill”

“Changes in Medicaid Rules May Pose Stark Choice for the Chronically Ill”
By Anemona Hartocollis
The article discusses the controversial place that thousands of Medicaid dependent elderly, are soon to be in. For years, New York’s Medicaid has been supplementing elderly who are applicable for both in home care, and institutionalized aid. New York’s understanding was that healthcare costs were to be covered if one spouse needed extensive long term care in order to keep the couple out of financial distress. This burden was taken over by the Medicaid office because living off of one person’s income was deemed hard enough. There are eligibility requirements such as combined income can not total $2,739 a month and assets can not total $109,560, with the exception of houses, cars, and other specified assets.
The federal offices of Medicare and Medicaid have now charged this rule. Medicaid will no longer be able to supply elderly receiving at home long term care with health coverage. This new regulation, which leaves couples like the Robinsons who receive $2,343 a month for living expenses, with two choices; one they can divorce at the ages of 84 and 64 to receive the health benefits, or two, Ms. Robinson, who is suffering from an end stage renal disease can stop receiving care, which includes at home dialysis. The regulation was supposed to go into effect December 2008, but due to the hard working elderly attorneys and health department, it is pushed back until March.
New York is the only state using Medicaid funds in such a way.

Hartocollis, A. (2009, January 23). Retrieved January 28, 2009, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/nyregion/24spouse.html

What LTC means to me?

Long term care, LTC, means a lot in the health care world. To me, LTC, means to make accommodations on a long term basis for individuals who physically and mentally are incapable of independent living for whatever clinically diagnosed reason. From that description, two more specific meanings can be derived. First, LTC is responsible for accommodating individuals on long term basis. Unlike acute care, which can be anywhere from a day trip to a three month stay in a hospital. LTC requires maintenance from licensed and trained staff. The care provided is based on individual needs with intentions of rendering care for the remainder of the individuals' life unless noted by other medical professionals.

The other meaning that can be related to LTC is the capability of accommodating individuals with a diagnosed illness, either mental or physical that requires extensive care due to impairments. The impairments do not have to be limited to physical handicaps but also mental ones that do not allow an individual to function solely on their own accord. Long term care has many interpretations and meanings and entails much more than was mentioned.