Effects of Long-Term Care and Quality of Life on the Elderly - Research Paper Example

Running head: Effects of Long-Term Care and Quality of Life on the Elderly Effects of Long-Term Care and Quality of Life on the Elderly Kathleen Wiggins University of Phoenix DOC/722 Gwenn W. Grondal, Ph.D. April 14, 2008 Effects of Long-Term Care and Quality of Life on the Elderly Research Topic The research will be on the need to evaluate the challenges facing the long term care of elderly people in Southern California with particular reference to the effects of the care on the quality of life the elderly person enjoys. Problem Statement The baby boomer generation is reaching its twilight years. This combined with the number of citizens abut to reach retirement age is presenting challenges on how to deal with the problem of long term care for the aged in terms of financing the care, training and retaining the staff to carry out the care and designing the service delivery systems. The information that will come out of this study will enable the industry to address: 1. Long term financial plans to underwrite the costs of LTC in a bid to resolve the problem of poor service delivery due to underfunding. Currently the funding of this sector is very low and with more people requiring such services soon, the system will be overburdened with financial needs. Nearly 70 % of those turning 65 in the year 2006 will need long-term care (LTC) in their lifetimes; 20 percent will need it for five years or longer. (Marcia, Clemmitt, 2006) 2. The staffing needs of the industry will be addressed by this study and thus help to plan staffing and labor related issues. The staffs available to deal with the huge numbers of elderly people are simply not available. An urgent recruitment and retraining of existing staff is necessary to cope with the challenges of new procedures and delivery systems. This issue is all the more acute taking into consideration that the need for caregivers will rise by 39%between 2000 and 2010, yet the population of those that make up the bulk of this workforce(18 – 55 tear old women) will increase by only 1.25%.(Marcia Clemmitt, 2006) 3. The appropriate service delivery systems necessary for the improvement of LTC and the future trends in relation to home and community based care of the elderly. Changing technology and newer treatments make it imperative that the delivery systems be continually updated to keep pace with the new developments. (Robyn I. Stone. 2000) Purpose Statement The study will focus on how long term care (LTC) programs can be financed by the state and federal governments. It will identify the sources of income and possibly see how the general public benefitting from home based treatment and institutionalized care may contribute to this effort. The financial plan of this program must be long term in nature to take into consideration the increasing number elderly people that will need such care soon. Public insurance schemes like Medicare have been poorly managed. This study will examine how this institution can be reformed to provide better services. A study found out that only 10% to 20% of the elderly are able to afford the payments for private insurance the industry. This may account for the poor performance of private insurance schemes have not had much success in the area of LTC. Furthermore, and are It will also investigate the role of private insurance in LTC. The issues of affordability of the insurance and the different avenues for financing the payments will be examined. Currently, a number of nursing homes are not providing services to the required standards. Most of the homes hire workers with no medical background and provide little professional training for them. An improved system will take into consideration the need to retrain the workers and provide the necessary facilities that will improve the quality of life of the elderly. (Banaszak-Holl, J., and M. A. Hines. 1996) Previously, LTC catered for basic case for the elderly who had no medical condition. Today a large number of old people are suffering from illnesses like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis. The care givers must be trained to handle such cases. Technological advances in the area of medicine and care for the elderly require that the caregivers both primary and secondary be enlightened on what to do to achieve the best results. This study will come up with detailed training schedules that will incorporate all the important procedures that will help in improving the health care of the individual. In the above context, the method/ design that should be most appropriate for the purpose described above should be carefully chosen taken into account all conditions related with the specific sector; the applicability of the specific method/ design should be also justified in detail presenting also the criteria that could be used for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the method/ design chosen. The potential use of quantitative method for current research will be examined and analyzed in the following sections using the necessary support – if any – for the appropriateness of this method in the research conducted for this study. Research Questions The problem of identifying the funds necessary for the provision of long term care of high quality to elderly worldwide has become more critical the last years. In this context, the following issues are likely to be explored and analyzed in order to come to a valid assumption regarding the relationship between the funds available to elderly people for the payment of long term care services and the quality of these services as they can be observed in healthcare institutions or other appropriately structured organizations: i. What long term plans are there to address the issue of LTC? ii. What measures, if any, are being taken to tackle the problem of staffing and service delivery in the nursing homes and at home and community care centers? iii. What changes need to be made to improve on the service delivery at all levels of LTC, taking into consideration the future challenges? Diagram Showing the Relationship between Independent and Dependant Variables SOCIAL INDEPENDANT VARIABLES Level of funding Staffing levels Home based care institutionalized care Existing family QUALITY OF SERVICE DEPENDANT VARIABLES ADAPTABILITY MEDICAL INDEPENDENT VARIABLES FREQUENCY OF TRAINING FOR STAFF NUMBER OF FACILITIES COGNITIVELY IMPAIRED PATIENTS DEPENDANT VARIABLES QUALITY OF SERVICE NUMBER OF ADMISSION CASES LIFE EXPECTANCY Research Method I am going to use the quantitative method of research in my study. Reasons for adopting the quantitative research method Quantitative research is the preferred method for this study because the variables being measured are of an empirical nature and quantitative research is better suited to handle data of this kind. This method allows for the empirical data found to be analyzed from a number of angles. That is a variable like the level of funding can be used to investigate a number of relationships like, its impact on staffing or the quality of services. For example, I would be able to determine the relationship between the number of facilities and the number of admitted persons. If the data shows that there is a distinct relationship between the number of elderly people and the number of nursing homes, then it can be assumed that the higher the number of institutions the higher the number of people in institutionalized homes. Further investigation may explain the phenomena by revealing that the families are to busy to care for their old folk and thus opt to book them into nursing homes. If the converse is found to be true it may reveal a shift from nursing homes to home and community based care. Further investigation may reveal that the cost of institutionalized care has gone beyond the reach of most people hence the shift. The study is to come up with findings that can be challenged and still found to be true based on the fact that they were tested by comparison of figures and recurring patterns. Research findings will be confirmed by testing and retesting. Using quantitative methods, the study can take a sample group of cognitively impaired persons and map out their life span under home based care and take another sample at a nursing home and do the same. By recording the number of years each lived under the different environments, a research statement can be formulated. This statement or theory can be useful in helping people decide which type of LTC to adopt for their elderly people. By collecting data and analyzing it using the quantitative research method, I will be able to come up with information that can construct a general theory based on my findings. The advantage of the quantitative method towards other research methods that could be possibly employed in this project, is that accurate evaluation can be made regarding both the current and the future (as possible) condition of a specific problem (related with all aspects of life). The case that is used as a tool in order to identify the actual facts should be mentioned as an indicative example of the value of assumptions made through the communication with both the patient but also with his/ her relatives – the communication – at least at this stage – has to be based on specific technology. The quantitative method chosen as a method of research appropriate for the particular project is considered to be the most appropriate – in accordance with the needs of patients living under specific conditions; quantitative method can lead to accurate results and for this reason its use in this study seems to be of high importance – and is being critically examined and evaluated. Data collection sources The financial statements for the state and federal government will show the allocation of funds to long term care. This when viewed against the existing budgets will show a deficit or a credit. The public and private insurance bodies will be approached to give information on expenditure on LTC and the number of people enrolled in any LTC plan. The nursing homes will be approached to provide information relating to staffing, financial assistance received from state or federal sources, and the quality of their services. The staff of nursing homes will be interviewed to find out the problems facing them and the possible solutions. The emphasis on this line of inquiry will be on how to make the occupation more attractive so as to fill the gap in required staff. Those conducting home based care can be asked to fill out questionnaires aimed at colleting data on various issues like what it costs them per annum and how they deal with medical issues facing the elderly. The question of training can be raised. The internet and various libraries can provide vital information on the state of long term care, its problems and possible solutions Direct interviews with the elderly persons can provide vital information on their perception of long term care and their suggestions for change. References AARP. (1998b). Boomers Approaching Midlife: How Secure a Future? Washington, D.C Banaszak-Holl, J., and M. A. Hines. (1996) Factors Associated with Nursing Home Staff Turnover. Gerontologist, 36(4):512-7 Clemmitt, M. (2006, October 13). Caring for the elderly. CQ Researcher, 16, 841-864. retrieved April 10, 2008, from CQ Researcher Online http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2006101300 Stone, Robyn I., (2000) Long - Term Care for the Elderly with Disabilities: Current Policy, Emerging Trends, and Implications for the Twenty-First Century Read More