Newspapers Examine Issues Related To Long-Term Care

Long Island Newsday: Newsday on Saturday examined efforts by New York to address problems with the state's long-term care system. In the past, the system "has been dense with contradictions," as industries "cropped up based on what the government would reimburse, not always what people needed or wanted," and "high costs pushed middle-class seniors into Medicaid, exactly what the state did not want," according to Newsday. However, "change is coming," with New York "leading three of the biggest shake-ups in years for long-term care," Newsday reports. According to Newsday, the state has begun to shift seniors from nursing homes into "less-costly, community-based care," and assisted living facilities have begun to send health care aides "into the homes of seniors who want to live on their own." New York later this year also will began to use a computer network that links state and local offices and provides data on long-term care patients. The network will serve as a "one-stop shopping program" in each county, with seniors and their families "evaluated based on what they need, what they can do for themselves and what they can get," according to Newsday. In addition, the New York Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century in December plans to make recommendations on the closure of some long-term care facilities in the state (Yan, Long Island Newsday, 6/3).

New York Times: The Times on Saturday examined how geriatric care managers "are growing increasingly popular as people live longer and want to grow old in their homes." The number of certified geriatric managers totals about 2,041 today, compared with about 50 in 1986, when the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers was formed. According to the Times, geriatric care managers help family members with long-term care insurance, serve as advocates at hospitals and nursing homes, monitor medications, find attorneys for legal problems and take patients to medical appointments. Geriatric care managers often are licensed social workers, counselors, nurses, gerontologists or psychologists with an expertise in elder care issues. However, the cost of geriatric care managers "can be a huge financial burden" -- initial assessments often cost between $200 and $500 -- and Medicare does not cover their services in most cases. In addition, the federal government does not regulate geriatric care managers (Shevory, New York Times, 6/3).



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