Improving Long-Term Care Services in Tennessee
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-04-19 15:22:19
AARP Tennessee commissioned a study examining the status of the long-term care (LTC) system in Tennessee, analyzing "best practices" from others states' LTC systems and recommending actions to improve Tennessee's system.
The study found that in four major areas, Tennessee has much room for improvement in regards to providing an entire range of services and supports in the home and community, and in eliminating artificial barriers and funding biases that favor institutional care.
The report analyzed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' four key building blocks of good management of LTC services: access, financing, services and quality. Here is a summary of some of the key findings under each of these areas:
Access is critical to individuals who need information on LTC services. Tennessee should:
- Continue the development of a single entry point system through the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability and the appropriate area agencies so that people can access information about LTC services, receive counseling about options and service availability, assess need and determine eligibility for public programs.
Financing must be available to support individual choice about where and how Tennesseans can receive LTC services. Tennessee should:
- Develop a plan for a unified or " global " budget that is flexible enough to allow an eligible individual to choose where to receive LTC services and supports.
Services and supports must be available across settings, and the state must attract enough providers of these services. Tennessee should:
- Include assisted living, in-home respite care and adult day care services in the current home and community-based services waiver.
- Adopt a variety of methods to encourage and sustain family caregiving.
- Provide increased reimbursement for providers of home care services.
Quality is essential to LTC services, and the state should have sufficient structures in place to monitor the quality of services. Tennessee should:
- Continue to develop systems designed to monitor quality and to detect and resolve problems in the LTC system.
For the entire list of recommendations, please view the report.
The study was conducted over a period between September 2004 and December 2005, using data from local and national sources, and from interviews and meetings conducted in person and by telephone with Tennessee state and local leaders.
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