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Tue 14 Nov, 2006 07:44 am
It's an idea that needs to happen, I think. In the small farming town where i spent much of my life, the county bought the old original hospital which consisted of about 12 individual rooms plus a large living room-dining room and kitchen (built about 1880) and closed when the catholic church built a new hospital. It was turned into a rest home for the elderly that did not need professional medical care. The county and city paid for 2 staff to do the cooking and house-keeping while the old folks had their own rooms, spend their days on the porch or playing cards or just watching the telly. The residents paid rent of a minimal amount and lived out their lives pretty much unregulated. There were house cats and a few dogs, a nicely kept garden and lawn chairs under the old cottonwood tree. It was a very humane approach to allowing dignity to the elderly. I wonder why this kind of facility seems to have disappeared from the american network of services.
dys- The problem is that this sort of service cannot be accomplished by the residents paying "a minimal amount". There are places like these, and they are of two basic types. One is the assisted living facility, where the residents pay a goodly amount. Here, the residents get food, housekeeping, help with bathing and dressing, if needed, and medication management. That costs money.
If the person is indigent, and on Medicaid, there are both large and small places that provide such services. From my experience, those places are often run by people who are just in it for the money, and often the people are housed in substandard conditions.
When I was running a psych rehab program, I was in contact with the homes that housed former psych patients. Many of the conditions that I observed were beyond unbelievable. I had the opportunity to come in contact with homes for the frail elderly. The ones that housed the indigent were a little better, but not much!
Phoenix32890 wrote:dys- The problem is that this sort of service cannot be accomplished by the residents paying "a minimal amount". There are places like these, and they are of two basic types. One is the assisted living facility, where the residents pay a goodly amount. Here, the residents get food, housekeeping, help with bathing and dressing, if needed, and medication management. That costs money.
If the person is indigent, and on Medicaid, there are both large and small places that provide such services. From my experience, those places are often run by people who are just in it for the money, and often the people are housed in substandard conditions.
When I was running a psych rehab program, I was in contact with the homes that housed former psych patients. Many of the conditions that I observed were beyond unbelievable. I had the opportunity to come in contact with homes for the frail elderly. The ones that housed the indigent were a little better, but not much!
I beg to differ, there are many elderly who need only minimal supervision, perhaps a weekly visit from the county nurse. And, yes there are many who need more than that but they are not the ones I refer to here. I believe there are 1,000's who only need a protected environment, a decent diet and a socially friendly environment but are now limited to costly medical facilities which they don't need.
I worked in a home like the one you describe once.
It was on Wisconsin blvd, in north Albq.
It was a nice size home. The original house was a 4 bedroom, 3 bath 2 car garage.
A single woman bought the house, remodeled the garage to add one more bedroom+storage area, and then added on yet another room.
There were 7 people living in that house. One couple, and mostly single women.
We had 2 employees there at all times.
One was responsible for the cooking/cleaning and medications. The other was responsible for transportation, and ADL assistance.
The average cost per person was 500 a month.
This covered the lease and utilities.
The rest of the grocery money, vehicle cost, employee salary, and basic insurance was covered by the few who had personal insurance that would cover their stay in the home.
We ( employees) were compensated partially for having a low hourly rate. (5.80 an hour for the 'aides', 8.88 for us 'nurses' and this was in 1994) We could add a few things to the grocery list for personal use. Her husband who was a doctor, would see us for 10 dollars a visit, family members 20. So we didn't have to afford insurance, yet we could still see a doc freely. When at work ( 48 hour shifts) we had free use of the company vehicle during our off times, and slept in the facility.
She eventually closed her doors due to lack of funding.
Her idea was wonderful.
She specifically would not take people who could no do for themselves.
Only catered to the types you describe.
People who can do everything they need, just wanted some extra supervision if need be, and didn't want to live alone.
From what I saw there, I would think that the reason they are not popular anymore is due to cost.
Not only do you have to pay employees, but you have horrid insurance costs .
I remember one time I was discussing her insurance coverage for the house alone and her premium I believe was almost 1000.
If you want to cater to people who cant afford more then 600 a month, it is hard to sustain such a place without serious government assistance.
Since there are many places like Phoenix said, the government would more then likely not assist new companies, just shoo everyone to an existing nursing home.
The PACE program has possibilities--although the emphasis seems to be on keeping the elderly in their own homes rather than in any sort of group housing situation.
dyslexia wrote:Phoenix32890 wrote:dys- The problem is that this sort of service cannot be accomplished by the residents paying "a minimal amount". There are places like these, and they are of two basic types. One is the assisted living facility, where the residents pay a goodly amount. Here, the residents get food, housekeeping, help with bathing and dressing, if needed, and medication management. That costs money.
If the person is indigent, and on Medicaid, there are both large and small places that provide such services. From my experience, those places are often run by people who are just in it for the money, and often the people are housed in substandard conditions.
When I was running a psych rehab program, I was in contact with the homes that housed former psych patients. Many of the conditions that I observed were beyond unbelievable. I had the opportunity to come in contact with homes for the frail elderly. The ones that housed the indigent were a little better, but not much!
I beg to differ, there are many elderly who need only minimal supervision, perhaps a weekly visit from the county nurse. And, yes there are many who need more than that but they are not the ones I refer to here. I believe there are 1,000's who only need a protected environment, a decent diet and a socially friendly environment but are now limited to costly medical facilities which they don't need.
I don't think Medicaid pays for "assisted living".
Phoenix32890 wrote:shewolfnm wrote:She eventually closed her doors due to lack of funding.
And there's the rub. I would suspect that there are a few kind hearted souls out there who would offer a home like dys described, but they are few and far between. For most it is a business, similar to those who take in foster kids primarily for the money.
And this business would have to be subject to both Federal and State regulation.
Quote:just shoo everyone to an existing nursing home
Many nursing homes are now being converted into condominiums, because of inability of patients to pay nursing home rates for their care. Average cost of nursing home is about $100,000/year in many parts of the USA.
Miller- Regulations, my aunt Tallulah. I am very familiar with homes that were run for the chronically mentally ill. One of the jobs that my organization did was to serve as "watchdogs". I could tell you stories that would curl your hair, about the neglect of the residents, and things that were done that were patently fraudulent.
There was one place that took over twenty years to finally shut down. It was as disgusting a hole that you would ever want to see. If it had been a prison, people would have been up in arms, about abuse of the prisoners. But one thing that I have learned is that society is not terribly concerned about mentally ill people, unless these folks move into their neighborhood.
I knew a nursing home inspector very well, in Chicago and believe me you could never "curl" my hair based on what she told me...
Phoenix32890 wrote:Miller wrote:I knew a nursing home inspector very well, in Chicago and believe me you could never "curl" my hair based on what she told me...
We used to meet with the City and State Mental Health people on a regular basis, to discuss problems concerning the adult home owners. We knew that there was a "mole" at that meeting, because, when anything untoward was discussed, the home owner always found out. We later learned that a person from Mental Health was taping the meetings, and informing the home owners.
And inspectors have been known to be "on the take" and were never found out until a serious incident such as a death or major fire occurred at the home. Then, it was too late for the affected residents.
my guess is that you'll see more and more of these small homes as the baby boomers age into 'elderly'.
littlek wrote:my guess is that you'll see more and more of these small homes as the baby boomers age into 'elderly'.
If they don't die from heart disease and hypertension first.
Quote:The poor will be eligible for Medicaid early on.
Many nursing homes and assisted living facilities will not take Medicaid patients. Just like some Doctors will not take either Medicare or Medicaid patients and more over, some Doctors now refuse to take insurance-covered patients and thus, these Docs take only CASH...
i know that in rural ontario there are some family homes that take in several mobile seniors in a sort of "extented family" .
i understand that one of the problems is to have an understanding that the seniors have to move into an "assisted" facility once they cannot look after themselves .
there was a report in our local paper - have to trace it .
just this morning morning saw an ad from a watertown , NY facility that seems to provide the kind of service that dys is talking about .
have to follow up .
hgbg
already found something right here in town . it's a beautifully restored building . unfortunately for dys , "gentle" ladies only are allowed :wink: .
hbg
link to website :
...ELIZABETH COTTAGE...
it's right downtown - only steps from mainstreet and an easy ten minute walk to lake ontario
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