Cuts In Home Care Make It Even More Important To Adequately Research Nursing Homes
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In an article in today's New York Times, reporter John Leland, describes the cuts states are making to close budget gaps and the effect those changes are having on the elderly. Some of the cuts described by Mr. Leland include meal deliveries, housekeeping assistance and aid for family caregivers.
As Mr. Leland correctly points out at the beginning of his article, such cuts are "penny wise and pound foolish" (my words not Mr. Leland's) because the programs being cut have demonstrated they actually save states money by keeping the elderly at home and not in expensive nursing home and assisted living facilities. Interestingly, Bruce Goldberg, the director of the Oregon Department of Human Services, inadvertently demonstrated the very problem with attempting to balance Oregon's budget on the backs of its elderly and infirm population. According to the article, Mr. Goldberg said: "[T] he agency did not have an estimate for how many of the people losing home care would end up in assisted living facilities or in nursing homes -- or, if they did, how the state would pay for them."
Is it right for Oregon and other states to balance their budgets in such an irresponsible manner? I will leave that for you to decide (although, perhaps, the way I phrased the question reveals my answer). More importantly, to the extent those loosing the financial assistance for home care need to take adequate steps ahead of time to properly research nursing home and assisted living facilities in order to ensure when the time comes, they are placed in a safe, nurturing and caring facility. A facility that is able to adequately care for their needs.
A new wave of nursing home and assisted living facility residents are being created by state budget cuts. The question remains, will the facilities be able to handle the deluge of new residents? Only time will tell.
