Handbook of Long-Term Care Administration and Policy PDF

Preface

Th e fastest growing part of the population is the 85-years-and-older cohort. Th e baby boomers have already begun to enter their 60s and the need for long-term care will escalate as they age. Th e growing requirement for services, with its associated opportunities and challenges, necessitates the presence of additional skilled longterm care administrators and policy makers. Moreover, long-term care administration is undergoing a process of professionalism similar to the one that took place decades ago in hospital administration. Th is evolution heightens the need for eff ective preparation for administrators and policy makers.

This text grew out of my long-standing interest in long-term care. During varied work experiences, I have seen that:

• A person, even one with diminishing abilities, could remain safely at home if there is adequate support from family and the community.

• Mistreatment of nursing home residents existed as well as conditions that put their lives in jeopardy.

• Apathy was apparent on the part of some offi cials whose job it was to ensure the delivery of safe, adequate long-term care.

• Isolation was often experienced during extended hospital stays by people who were dying;* their call lights tended to be answered only after considerable delay, and their requests to talk about the seriousness of their illness were frequently ignored.

• Public policy, and its many modifi cations, had the potential to improve the long-term care system and the lives of the people it served.

• Positive changes in institutional and home and community-based care could be made through both the public and private sectors.

• Individuals needing long-term care comprised a diverse population.

• Advocates for younger and older people with chronic illnesses or disabilities often saw themselves in competition for the same resources and resisted cooperating to improve the lives of people of all ages who need assistance with daily activities.

My experiences have also shown me the relationship between the quality of an organization's administration and that of the services provided. Th e need for educated, prepared administrators and policy makers is abundantly clear. Th is handbook is designed as an instructive tool for the education of individuals planning to work in long-term care. It contains a wide range of information they will need as they provide leadership in the long-term care arena. Th is handbook is also intended as a reference for individuals already employed in this fi eld. Laura Katz Olson's deep interest in aging and long-term care prompted me to ask her to serve as the coeditor of this text. I was pleased that she accepted the invitation.