America has a highly developed health care
system, which is available to all people. Although it can be
very complex and frustrating at times it has come a long
way from the health care organizations of yesterday.
Previously most health care facilities were a place where
the sick were housed and cared for until death. Physicians
rarely practiced in hospitals and only those who were
fortunate could afford proper care at home or in private
clinics. Today the level of health care has excelled
tremendously. Presently the goal of our health care is to
have a continuum of care for the patient, one which is
integrated on all levels. Many hospitals offer a referral
service or discharge plan to patients who are being
discharged. Plans for the patient are discussed with a
discharge planner. The discharge planner is a person who is
trained in assessing what the patient's requirements for
health care will be after discharge from the hospital. This
enables the patient to continue ! their care at a level which
is most appropriate for them. Items reviewed for discharge
planning include but are not limited to therapies, medication
needs, living arrangements and identification of specific
goals.
A few of the options that are available for persons
being discharged from an acute care hospital can include
home health care, assisted living facilities, long term care or
hospice Home Health Care According to Growing Old in
America (1996), "Home health care is one of the fastest
growing segments of the health care industry" (p. 114).
Alternatives for home care can meet both the medical and
non-medical needs of a patient. These services are
provided to patients and their families in their home or
place of residence. Home care is a method of delivering
nursing care and other therapies as required by the patient's
needs. Numerous alternatives are available for persons
seeking health care at home. With transportable
technologies such as durable medical equipment, oxygen
supply and intravenous fluids there are countless
possibilities for treatment within the home setting. As stated
in The Continuum of Long Term Care "Home health
programs range from formal organizations providing skilled
nursing care to relatively informal networks that arrange
housekeeping for friends" (p. 185). This has allowed for
home care to quickly become an e...
... middle of paper ...
...mpanies.
The regulating agencies that set the standards
for hospices are Medicare, the National Hospice
Organization, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health
Care Organizations (JCAHO) and state hospice agencies. I
have found that the medical record content in a hospice
program contains an extensive amount of identifying
information in regards to the patient and their primary
caregiver(s). All aspects of patient care are well
documented and assure well-coordinated, continuous care.
The medical record acts as a communication tool between
the different team members and is used on a continuous
basis throughout the patient's care. Conclusion Although
there are many options other than those listed for health
care after discharge from a hospital, The most important
aspect for a person is to be well informed and
knowledgeable about the variety of options available. It can
be very confusing, especially to an elderly person when talk
of finances, regulations and covered and non-covered items
are discussed. It is our responsibility as future health care
administrators to provide adequate information to the
person who is opting for alternatives to health care.
Discharge planning and education has been one of the most important component of patients education provided y nurses and other health care providers. According to Bastable (2008) patient education is the process of assisting people to learn health related behavior that can be incorporated into everyday life with the goal of optimal health and independent in health care. She also mentioned that key to learning and changing is the individual cognition, perception, thoughts, memory, and ways of processing and structuring information. The purpose of this discussion is to provide a home discharge planning for Tina Jones on wound care, diabetes and asthma management (Bastable, Susan Bacorn, 2008).
Long-term care (LTC) covers a wide range of clinical and social services for those who need assistance due to functional limitations. These limitations usually result from complications associated with age related chronic conditions, from disabilities related to birth defects, brain damage, or mental retardation in children; or from major illnesses or injuries suffered by adults (Shi L. & Singh D.A., 2011). LTC encompasses a variety of services including traditional clinical services, social services and housing. Unlike acute care, long-term care is much more complicated and has objectives that are much harder to measure. Acute care mainly focuses on returning patients to their previous functional level and is primarily provided by specialty providers. However, LTC mainly focuses on preventing the physical and mental deterioration of an individual and promoting social adjustments to suit the different stages of decline. In addition the providers of LTC are more diverse than those in acute care and is offered in both formal and informal settings, which include: hospitals, physicians, home care, adult day care, nursing home care, assisted living and even informal caregivers such as friends and family members. Long-term care services have been dominated by community based services, which include informal care (86%, about 10 to 11 million) and formal institutional care delivered in nursing facilities (14%, 1.6 million) (McCall, 2001). Of more than the 10 million Americans estimated to require LTC services, 58% are elderly and 42% are under the age of 65 (Shi L. & Singh D.A., 2011). The users of LTC are either frail elderly or disabled and because of the specific care needs of this population, the care varies based on an indiv...
When a patient is unable to make care decisions for themselves, it is necessary to involve those closest to them, most often family members. Providing a supporting environment to family members is another way that the best interest of the patient can be maintained. Families and friends can make a huge difference in the life of the patient after discharge. Instructing families in a way that is easy to understand helps eliminate potential barriers to communication. Families should be aware of what things to look for, what would constitute an emergency, and how to safely handle
The first journal article is about advance care planning (ACP) in palliative care. This is of interest due to several clinical experiences and the realization that many families either ignore the patient’s request for end of life (EOL) care or who have no idea of how to plan for EOL care. By reading the research and understanding the methods used, this will allow for insight into how to implement palliative care into clinical practice across different sites. The authors of this original research are Jeanine Blackford PhD, RN, senior lecturer at La Trobe University in Australia, and Annette Street PhD, associate dean of research and professor of cancer and palliative care studies. According to Blackford & Street (2011), this research is important as there are many countries that “report a low percentage of people who have completed an advance care plan” (p. 2022), and ACP is needed upon admission to facilities that offer palliative care. In addition, the purpose of the study is to try and obtain guidance to integrate an ACP model into routine clinical practice in the community. The research question chosen for the analysis of this article is: Is it feasible to implement ACP into routine practice and documentation at multi-site locations in...
When it comes to health matters, everyone becomes attentive. People believe that with good health, one can virtually accomplish anything that they desire. This is the reason to as why health is given all the attention. It is important to have a clear understanding of the meaning of the term health, healthcare and systems that are put in place to facilitate healthcare.
While most countries around the world have some form of universal national health care system, the United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, does not. There are much more benefits to the U.S. adopting a dorm of national health care system than to keep its current system, which has proved to be unnecessarily expensive, complicated, and overall inefficient.
One of the most commonly debated topics in recent American history has been that of health care. Would Americans be able to reap more benefits if individuals continue to be independent in their pursuits of health care, or would it be beneficial for all if the government introduced more regulations regarding health care, changing our system to resemble those of other developed countries? As more solutions are offered, it becomes harder for people to reach a consensus on the best way to approach this issue. Despite this, America must decide what system of healthcare will benefit the most citizens and improve the quality of life the most. It is becoming increasingly apparent that a universal healthcare system would be the most effective and
An issue that is widely discussed and debated concerning the United States’ economy is our health care system. The health care system in the United States is not public, meaning that the states does not offer free or affordable health care service. In Canada, France and Great Britain, for example, the government funds health care through taxes. The United States, on the other hand, opted for another direction and passed the burden of health care spending on individual consumers as well as employers and insurers. In July 2006, the issue was transparency: should the American people know the price of the health care service they use and the results doctors and hospitals achieve? The Wall Street Journal article revealed that “U.S. hospitals, most of them nonprofit, charged un-insured patients prices that vastly exceeded those they charged their insured patients. Driving their un-insured patients into bankruptcy." (p. B1) The most expensive health care system in the world is that of America. I will talk about the health insurance in U.S., the health care in other countries, Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, and my solution to this problem.
Sicko, a film by Michael Moore was released in 2007. The film investigates health care system in the United States. One would definitely get amazed by the facts and figures explained in this documentary. The movie explains failing health care system in the United States. America has advance medical technology, big hospitals, and educated health care professionals, but these facilities are not universal. The film starts by talking about true American stories; what some people have experienced from current health care system, those who had and did not had health insurances. The story starts by Adam, one of 50 million people in America who does not have health insurance. Due to an accident Adam required a medical treatment, but for the reason of not having any insurance he puts stitches on his leg by himself. The second story was about Rick, who accidentally cut the top of his two fingers, middle and the ring while working on the table saw. As a result of not having health insurance, Rick could not put the top of his middle finger back because it was costing 60,000 dollars and he did not had the money. So, he decided to put his ring finger back because it cost 12,000 dollars which he could afford. The movie does not go into the detail of 50 million people who do not have health insurance, but it’s about 250 million Americans who do have health insurance.
A transitional care nurse or nurse navigator could be utilized to assure a smooth transition from the hospital into the community. The nurse navigator bridges the gap between the hospital care and post-acute care, while working closely with hospital staff, primary care doctors, specialists and community resources (Lamb, 2014, p. 191). Following the client’s discharge, a home health nurse would assume care and begin coordinating services. This nurse would be responsible to assure that all the care services are in place and there is a smooth
The U.S. healthcare system is very complex in structure hence it can be appraised with diverse perspectives. From one viewpoint it is described as the most unparalleled health care system in the world, what with the cutting-edge medical technology, the high quality human resources, and the constantly-modernized facilities that are symbolic of the system. This is in addition to the proliferation of innovations aimed at increasing life expectancy and enhancing the quality of life as well as diagnostic and treatment options. At the other extreme are the fair criticisms of the system as being fragmented, inefficient and costly. What are the problems with the U.S. healthcare system? These are the questions this opinion paper tries to propound.
With the United Nations listing health care as natural born right and the escalating cost of health care America has reached a debatable crisis. Even if you do have insurance it's a finical strain on most families.
OUTCOME/GOAL STATEMENT: Short Term: Pt will verbalize feelings of concern regarding at home maintenance of self with SO prior to discharge. Long Term: (after discharge) Pt will work with home health care giver to relief frustration and avoid further depression.
The upheaval of moving into a residential care home can prove to be stressful for someone receiving care. It's not always necessary either. Home care enable patients to remain in a place they know - their own home. It also allows them to be surrounded by their possessions and memories - which can prove to be comforting during a difficult time. There may come a time when a residential care facility, with its specialist care equipment is an absolute necessity.
Decision-making is the process requiring critical thinking and forecasting ability to assist a person in selecting a logical choice from the available number of options. (Tiffen, Corbridge & Slimmer, 2014). Studies show that nurses make a health care decision every 30 seconds so it becomes an involuntary process for nurses to make clinical decisions. From admission itself, the plan regarding the patient’s bed occupancy, care and treatment will be decided. In geriatric nursing along with many other clinical care decisions nurse need to make decisions on long term care plan like selection of end of life care (EOL) and discharge planning.