Sunday, March 31, 2013

Reflections of Nursing Homes and more

It's been quite a few years since B and I were involved in traveling and oversight of many contracted nursing homes in the Albany, NY and outlying area.  B, an extraordinary master level's nurse is long retired and I have long since moved into an entirely different position (dabbling with data and technology).  Despite the lapse of time, I am taking this opportunity to share some thoughts and reflections in regards to nursing homes and related issues of aging.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Long Term Care (LTC) Insurance - not for me

Some time back, Kristi on her popular "On the Edge" blog asked readers the question, "Should I purchase long term care insurance".  I had commented at the time that I believed this question included a large philosophical decision in addition to the financial risk management analysis that is generally applied to the decision.  It occurred to me that I should elucidate this response in a full posting.  For many years, I served as a licensed social worker coordinating a contracted nursing program for a large organization.  In addition to this posting in regards to Long Term Care (LTC) insurance, I am also planning a future post in regards to nursing homes in general.

What is a nursing home?

While this question appears simplistic and unnecessary, I wish to dispel the notion that a nursing home is somewhere you go when you get old and need a "little" help.  The word "nursing" is key; in billing circles nursing homes are referred to as "skilled nursing" facilities which designates a "level of care."  Long past are the days of nursing equating to maid service and bed pans; today's nurses are highly skilled technicians.  When someone needs a nursing home, it is not because they need a "little" help; it is because they need "a lot" of help. Indeed, in order for one to "qualify" for this level of care, they must score appropriately on a formal assessment referred to as the Patient Review Instrument (PRI).

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Naked Pictures and thanks for the aid, Geneseo

It’s that stressful time again.  Daughter #2 is preparing for college; she’d like to become a doctor and I hope she does.  The disappointment was palpable after receiving the most recent financial aid package from the State University of New York at Geneseo.  Geneseo was the “affordable” pick as it is a state college and as such it is understood that they do not have large private endowments to draw upon.  Regardless, I can’t help but being a bit offended by the verbiage which reflected that she was entitled to “aid” (no kidding, that is the word that is strewn throughout the letter).  This “aid” consisted of a parent loan of about $7500 per semester and student loans of about $4000 per semester and $0.00 in grants or scholarships.  This financial aid letter asked her to sign and indicate whether she would accept this “aid” in whole or in part (or not at all).