Editorial: Long-term care study has merit

Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2002 | 8:59 a.m.

Relying on nursing homes to fill the major long-term care needs of senior citizens has been standard for decades. Private and public nursing homes, despite their expense, waiting lists and occasional scandals, have always been an option. Many people looking ahead, however, see the senior population doubling with no comparable increase in nursing-home construction.

Financial incentives for nursing home construction or expansion are bleak. Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates will be insufficient as governmental budgets are cut and health-care costs escalate. Few families will be able to afford the cost of nursing-home care on their own. And studies have shown that only a tiny percentage of people buy private, long-term care insurance.

For years geriatric experts have talked about the advantages of seniors receiving care in their own homes. Given that nursing homes may not be an option for many people in the near future, it's time for this approach to receive serious attention. The Legislative Committee on Health heard a presentation Monday that we hope resonates with the full Legislature. The Nevada Senior Services Task Force, headed by Susan Rhodes of the Clark County Social Services Department, outlined a 10-year plan that emphasizes in-home care. The task force set a goal that by 2010, 60 percent of all seniors receiving publicly funded long-term care remain at home.

The goal would require an investment -- $300 million over the next eight years. Included would be an expansion of the state's prescription drug program, a health and fitness awareness program, and dental, housing and utilities subsidies for needy seniors. Studies by the task force, however, say if the state remains on its present course, relying on institutional care, it will spend $374 million over that same period on long-term care. Because there's a chance to save money and increase the quality of life for senior citizens at the same time, the task force's plan for in-home care should be pursued by the governor and Legislature.