State
considers system for placing elderly in long-term care
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By CANDICE CHOI
Associated Press Writer
"People end up in nursing homes for all kinds of reasons. There are a lot
of nursing home residents that could probably be in adult day care, or assisted
living care or another continuum of care," said David Sandman, executive
director of the state panel charged with closing hospital and nursing home
beds.
A new evaluation system now being developed by the state Health Department will
be discussed by Sandman's panel Thursday at the Capitol. Counties with high
percentages of inappropriately placed nursing home residents will also be
outlined.
Bill Ferris, spokesman for the AARP which supports the idea of a standardized
placement system, said it could help keep seniors out of nursing homes.
"Our membership wants to stay at home as long as possible," he said.
"This system would support that by telling people where to go to get the
home care they need."
The cost for nursing home care is nearly double that
of assisted living care, according to the Health Department. About 14 percent
of all nursing home residents are "potentially excellent candidates to be
cared for at home," Sandman said.
The improper placement of senior citizens in nursing homes is a costly problem
the Health Department is struggling to fix. This winter, the department asked
nursing homes to seek certification that would allow them to convert beds to
assisted living care, adult day care or long-term home health care slots.
Medicaid spending in
Of that, $7.1 billion was spent on nursing home care, according to the Kaiser
Family Foundation.
One question the evaluation system raises is where to place the seniors who do
not belong in nursing homes, said Dan Curran, spokesman for the New York
Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.
"These seniors might be in areas where they don't have access to home care
or more informal care," he said.
Discussion of the evaluation system comes as the state commission reviews the
closure of hospital and nursing home beds in the state.
"Right now, the long-term care system is a mess," Sandman said.
"It's confusing to try and navigate just because there are so many
options."
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On the Net:
New York State Department of Health, http://www.health.state.ny.us/