2010 Senior Lobby Day Photos
1501 S Capitol Way Rm 102
Olympia, WA 98501
Phone 360-754-0207
Fax 360-956-0362
info@waseniorlobby.org
www.waseniorlobby.org
Washington State made a policy choice in the mid 1990s to emphasize home and community care services, in perference to nursing home services, in meeting the long term care needs of our growing population of elders and younger people with disabilities. Had the State not made this decision the current budget crisis would be far worse, requiring an additional $600 million in state and federal funds in the coming biennium budget for long term care. In 1995, 45% of Midicaid spending for long term care was for nursing home care. Today, only 21% goes to nursing home care and 79% is spent to provide home care, adult day health, boarding homes, and adult family homes.
This shift to community based care has saved more than $1 billion over the last decade. It as also resulted in a long term care system that offers choices to people an families who most often prefer less institutional settings. The reason for these savings i simple. The cost of providing car for people at home is about one third of the cost of care in a nursing home.
The result of Washington State's decision is a long term care system that is not only cost effective but widely supported by consumers. The State invested wisely to develop the capacity and the quality of the home and community care system. The changes have developed a larger and better qualified work force through improved wages, benefits, training and monitoring.
Facilities Proliferate Across U.S. but Without Much Scrutiny, click on Long-Term Care Hospitals
Some of the most worrisome reports about Select Medical's hospitals are largely hidden from the public, click on Select Medical Hospitals
Rebuilding Our Economic Future - Cuts to Long-Term Care Services Threatens Seniors and People with Disabilities, see Coalition Working for a Fair, Humane and Sensible Budget in Washington State The World of Long-Term Care Hospitals
A Trail of Disquieting Reports From Select Medical Hospitals
Going Broke Caring for Aging Parents
About 30 percent of adult children in the US contribute financially to their parents' care for everything from uncovered medical expenses to make sure the refrigerator is stocked each week, for more see Aging Parents
Recently state workers helped Mr. Brown find a two-bedroom apartment in public housing in Philadelphia, for more see Leave Nursing Homes
To view the video, click on LTC Care Ombudsman
The Project 2020 Legislation developed in a partnership between National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) and National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a)--provides the first coordinated national long-term care strategy that will generate savings in Medicaid and Medicare at the federal and state levels for more information on Project 2020
In three years, boomers will start reaching 65 at a rate of 40,000 or more a year, quickly swelling the ranks of 65-plus by nearly a million residents. Washington appears unprepared to handle the coming flood, according to aging and retirement experts, see Caregiver Shortages
When you find yourself in need of long-term care in this country, there is a good chance someone else will make these decision for you, see Long-Term-Care
State 's nursing home industry might seek a fee increase for nursing beds in January. see Fee increase
Earlier this year, key lawmakers vowed to try to protect adult day health program, noting that the programs cost taxpayers far less than nursing home care. (Costs average $7,000 a year per person, compared to 10 times that in a hursing home). But as legislators struggled to write a budget, expected revenues shrank by billions of dollars. The final budget, signed last month, cuts adult day health by 70 percent. The state could only pay for people still living in their own homes, lawmakers decided. See closure of Adult-care center
