Among the issues confronting America is long-term care for frail, older persons and others with chronic conditions and functional limitations that limit their ability to care for themselves. Improving the Quality of Long-Term Care takes a comprehensive look at the quality of care and quality of life in long-term care, including nursing homes, home health agencies, residential care facilities, family members and a variety of others. This book describes the current state of long-term care, identifying problem areas and offering recommendations for federal and state policymakers. Who uses long-term care? How have the characteristics of this population changed over time? What paths do people follow in long term care? The committee provides the latest information on these and other key questions. This book explores strengths and limitations of available data and research literature especially for settings other than nursing homes, on methods to measure, oversee, and improve the quality of long-term care. The committee makes recommendations on setting and enforcing standards of care, strengthening the caregiving workforce, reimbursement issues, and expanding the knowledge base to guide organizational and individual caregivers in improving the quality of care.

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Who pays for long-term care? Discover the unique approaches of seven countries around the Pacific Rim! Long-Term Care in the Twenty-First Century discusses policies and programs for long-term care in seven countries around the Asia-Pacific Rim: the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Each country is covered in two chapters, one to examine the philosophy and values that underlie its approaches to long-term care, the second to discuss its systems of service delivery. These thoughtful analyses, backed up with facts and figures, explain program successes and failures in the context of demographic and social trends and with reference to the differing political systems across the region. Its breadth of perspective and insightful examination of cultural differences make Long-Term Care in the Twenty-First Century an important contribution to the international comparative study of aging. The programs in the United States, Australia, and Canada offer a fascinating contrast with the longer-established and very different programs in the Asian countries, including Japan, the world’s oldest country. Long-Term Care in the Twenty-First Century provides practical information on essential gerontological issues for each country, including: financing arrangements development of client classification systems case management in both residential and community-based systems key source documents, references, and Web sites political and cultural influences home-based and family caregiving This valuable book provides a critical record of developments in the current transition period. This multicultural perspective contributes a chance for all countries to learn from the experience of others in dealing with a problem that is increasingly important as the world population ages. Long-Term Care in the Twenty-First Century is an essential resource for scholars, service providers, policymakers, and anyone concerned with care of the aged, not only in Pacific Rim countries but around the world.

Today, more than 10 million people in the United States require some form of long-term care, a number that is rapidly increasing and will continue to do so for years to come. This concise and user-friendly resource contains the fundamental information long-term care nurses need to provide all aspects of safe and effective care to their patients in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Written by a renowned and highly respected nurse leader in long-term care and gerontology, it presents key facts and core competencies related to the clinical and managerial responsibilities of nurses in these settings. Details on the specific skills required for this challenging specialty, as well as must-know information on regulatory standards, site visits, management and leadership, and dementia care, are presented in a concise format for quick access to information. The book embodies a holistic approach to nursing that recognizes the importance of quality of life in addition to quality of care. It provides an overview of the unique features of long-term care, addressing the operational differences between these settings and those of acute settings, the distinct responsibilities of long-term care nurses, special needs of the residents, and major clinical challenges. The text offers guidance on the use of evidence-based knowledge within the constraints of long-term care settings. Topics such as legal risks, documentation essentials, and the importance of self-care are covered, along with management and leadership issues relevant to the supervision of unlicensed personnel. The Fast Facts in a Nutshell feature assists readers in reinforcing and applying content, and a comprehensive resource list supplements the text. The book will also serve as a useful study tool for long-term nursing care certification. Key Features: Embodies the essential competencies for long-term care nursing practice Presents information in a concise easy-to-access format with bulleted facts and the Fast Facts in a Nutshell feature Addresses management and leadership issues germane to the long-term care setting Includes must-know information on regulatory standards, site visits, legal risks, documentation essentials, and more Guides nurses in using evidence-based knowledge in long-term care settings