Long-Term Health Care

Although I've been in favor of Dennis Kucinich's single-payer health-care plan, I admire his decision to go forward with the president. Abe couldn't get long-term health-care insurance due to short-term memory loss. This, about a decade ago, after hip-replacement surgery. As recently as a few years ago, I couldn't buy long-term insurance, regardless of the cost, due to "pre-existing" depression issues entwined with living in an Alzheimer family. Let's hope new legislation will help others in these straights.

According to the Alzheimer's Association's recent communication:

1) Alzheimer families will be helped by the creation of a national voluntary insurance program, known as the CLASS Act, which provides benefits for long-term care services and support, such as respite care, home care aides and accessible transportation. This new insurance program will help individuals with Alzheimer's disease to remain as independent as possible within their homes and communities for as long as they can and is a great first step in addressing long-term care issues and in assisting families.

2) Creating a new demonstration project, known as the Innovation Center, to examine ways to promote care coordination in the Medicare program, including for individuals with Alzheimer's and other dementias. Care coordination is a process for ensuring effective communication among medical and community care providers and connecting an individual and their family with the services they need ... The new Innovation Center will pilot new programs and identify which programs work best for individuals with dementia.'

3) Establishing a Medicare pilot program to provide transitional care to seniors at a high risk, including those with cognitive impairment, of re-entering a hospital.... Cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's and other causes increases the complexity of care transitions and post-acute care, resulting in increased risk for medication errors and hospital readmissions .... Alzheimer families need assistance with planning and managing discharge and post-acute care, including arranging and monitoring in-home medical treatment and supportive services.

Suggested reading
Alzheimer's Association - Western and Central Washington State Chapter

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