Religious, Ethnic, and Cultural Beliefs

I think that a very important issue in long-term healthcare is people’s different cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. This is a very important issue for people, and if it is not handled properly then the clients will not feel comfortable. I believe that when each patient is admitted in to an assisted living facility there should be a form to fill out that tells what the person religious, ethnic and cultural beliefs and practices are in great detail. For instances if a person is Jewish don’t just write done that they are Jewish, but instead figure out to what extent do they follow their religion and culture. Ask if they only eat kosher food, do they celebrate any holidays, do they observe Shabbat? These are very important things to that person, and it would be a huge deal for them is they were forced to compromise any of their beliefs and customs, because they were not given an option. Another example is Muslim women. Because of their religious beliefs they would prefer to not be examined by a male, so that would be something that would need to be known to everyone at the facility. Also there are many different eating habits and holidays that would need to be understood as well. If someone is catholic you should find out if the practice lent, or do they attend mass? These are all very legitimist and very important questions that could very easily be answered and taken care of. I believe that you must always keep in mind the little things that have made up these peoples lives. They are already giving up a lot by living in a facility, so you would not want them to also have to give up their religious and cultural beliefs as well. For many older people they do not care about all of the new technology and medical advances that may help them, but rather it is all of the things that made up who they are and how they have lived their lives that it important to them now. So during the last years of their lives you should try to make sure that they are still allowed to be themselves. 

Quality of Life Issues In Long Term Health Care

Quality of life is a huge issue in a assisted living facility. Many people who are in a assisted living facility do not want to be there, but because of health reasons they have to be. So it is very important to try to make them as happy as possible. Many people feel that they are losing control over their own life. You need to try to see it from their perspective. How would you feel if you were in their position? I think that you should try to give them as much control as possible, while still making sure that they are safe. It may be difficult, but for many people these are the last few years of their life, so why would you not want to make them happy? Let them make the little decisions such as when and what to eat as long as it is health for them. Many people in assisted living facilities are more then capable of making decisions like that, and it can make a big difference in their happiness. I think that it should also be made to feel as homelike as possible. Try to make it is friendly as you can. Encourage their family to bring things from home that they like. It can even be as easy as their favorite blanket. You need to keep in mind that in some cases clients may be sharing a room with another person. This may be very difficult for them to deal with, so as long as it does not interfere with the other person you need to make them as comfortable as possible. You need to realize that this may be an extremely difficult time for them. They may have been very independent people for their entire lives, and now they feel like everyone else is making the decisions for them. So just try to make their quality of life as good as possible. I think that one of biggest problems that the health field has is that we are so consumed with trying to treat our clients that we forget about their happiness and comfort. If we keep that in mind then I believe that our clients will have a much better quality of life.

Pratt, R., John, Long-Term Care Managing Across the Continuum, Sudbury, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2011, 86-87.

An Issue Relating to Long-Term Care

The subject relating to long-term health care that I want to talk about is the aging of society.  This fact has already had a huge impact on the health care system so far, and will only continue to have a huge influence on it. By the year 2030 the number of elderly people is expected to grow to 20 percent of the population, and as of right now they make up only 13 percent of the population.  (Pratt R., John, P 454) It appears that this number is only going to keep increasing which means that long-term facilities need to be prepared for that. 2030 may seem like it is a long time away, but when you think about all that needs to be done so that facilities are gradually preparing themselves for this increase it does not seem so ridiculous. I am not saying that every facility needs to instantly start expanding and increasing their staff, but rather that their needs to be a plan of action as to how the are going to gradually handle the situation. (Pratt R., John, P 454)

 Also, there has been an increase in the number of people who are living with chronic diseases, which is good because it means that our medical system is getting better. (Pratt R., John, P 455) But that also means that this will effect our elderly population, so that means that our long-term care facilitates should also be preparing for that was well. (Pratt R., John, P 455)

Assisted living facilities have come a long way over the past century, and I believe that they are going to continue to do so. This could potentially be a huge problem, but it does not have to be as long as people just continue to make some changes to their facilities, and just keep in mind that times are changing.  I believe that people need to be mindful of the fact that our society is always changing, and they need to realize how those changes may affect them, and then do their best to prepare for it.

Pratt, R., John, Long-Term Care Managing Across the Continuum, Sudbury, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2011, 454-455

What Does LTC Mean To Me?

I think that when most people hear "long term care" their first thought is of a nursing home. Nursing homes certainly  are a significant part of long term care facilities, but they are not only thing that long term care pertains to. Long term care is anything where a person will be treated for an extended period of time, such as a rehab facility, home health care, hospice and many other facilities.

To me this means that because these facilities will be treating people for an extended period of time that there is even more of a reason for them to be ran with the upmost level of care and attention. Some of these people may spend their life using these facilities, and others will be ended their life there. So I believe that you should be making sure that all their needs are met, and I believe that you start with that by having good administration. If a facility is not ran properly from the top then there is not much hope that all the other departments will be doing a good job.