It is no secret that the American health care system is a mess. Medical decisions are often times based on insurance rules instead of medicine. There was a time when if you needed to spend some time in the hospital to heal after an injury or to be treated for an illness you did not need to worry about your insurance company’s policies on extended stays. Unfortunately, today, once you are stable enough to be moved out of the hospital you are moved out, whether you are medically ready to be moved or not. Care that is needed around the clock is expected to be provided by untrained family members. This is not only stressful for everyone involved; it can be dangerous and detrimental to your health. Long term care does not have to be something that is stressful and provided by untrained family members. There is an answer. Assisted living homes can provide long term care in a residential setting.
Assisted Living and Long Term Care
Assisted living is a living arrangement where folks who are struggling to take care of themselves can find the level of care that they need to be comfortable. For some individuals, this may mean help with simple tasks like bathing and dressing; for others, it may be held with getting around or with medication management. Assisted living homes promote the notion that each person should maintain their autonomy for as long as possible in life, and therefore encourage their residents to remain independent when possible.
Viable Solution
Clearly there are certain cases where someone will need round the clock care. The care may include personal grooming, round the clock medication, round the clock supervision and the watchful eye of folks that are trained to notice signs of worsening conditions. Assisted living homes can take the burden off family members who may be afraid to take on the responsibility for their loved ones life and provide a great support system not only for the patient but for the family members as well.
The insurance industry is all about the bottom line. A person that needs long term care may be able to get the insurance company to pay for long term care in one of the many assisted living homes but they will probably blatantly refuse to cover the cost in a hospital or nursing home. Assisted living homes are an affordable option where the cost may be covered by health insurance policies. In either case, assisted living is a less costly option in many instances, when compared to nursing home care or in-home care by trained professionals.
Medical Supervision
In many assisted living homes there is a doctor or medical professional on call that can be consulted with. Typically there is also a nurse on staff that visits several times a week. As part of the care plan arrangements are made to insure that the resident is able to get to doctor appointments.
Getting the best long term care possible can easily be done as a resident at an assisted living home. The staff is typically kind and compassionate and has a strong understanding of what care is needed for each resident to live the best life that they can.
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