What are Home and Community Based Services?
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-03-22 14:57:04.672335-05:00
Home and community-based services prevent or delay frail seniors and persons with disabilities from being admitted to nursing homes. Services include such assistance as personal care aides, adult day services, transportation, home-delivered meals, congregate meals, nutrition education, respite care and other services.
Who is served?
More than 17,000 seniors. Seventy percent of these seniors have incomes below the federal poverty level of less than $800 a month. Half of these seniors live alone. Sixty percent live in rural areas and almost 30% are 85 and older.
How do we compare to other states?
We serve the second lowest percentage of eligible seniors in the Southeast. For example, Mississippi serves more than double the percentage of seniors that South Carolina serves.
How many are on the waiting list?
Almost 4,000 frail seniors, some of whom must wait for up to two years to receive even a home-delivered meal.
What does it cost us?
The range of aging services - home-delivered meals, personal care, adult day services, etc. - that help seniors remain in their home cost an average of $822 dollars per individual per year. In contrast, persons in Medicaid-paid nursing home beds cost taxpayers anywhere from $25,000 to $37,000 per year. Investing this $2.9 million today can potentially save the state expenditures of more than $30 million in delayed or prevented nursing home admissions over the next few years. Other states have already realized the wisdom of this type of investment and have moved more of their dollars into home and community-based services.
What are the health benefits of receiving home-delivered meals?
A recent study showed that of seniors with similar health conditions, those that received home-delivered meals had fewer emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations than those who did not receive meals. Investing in services to seniors in their own homes is a smart financial decision in many ways such as reducing the state's health care costs.
What's a real life example of someone receiving these services?
Edgar and Edith Price have meals delivered to their home, through the Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commission. The Prices, who are both 91 and have been married for 71 years, have the meals delivered at lunchtime. Mr. Price said they usually refrigerate it, and then warm it up for dinner. "It came in and filled a real touchy spot," he said. "We're both getting old and my wife can't stand up long enough to prepare our meals." Mr. Price praised the service. "It's been very helpful and we really appreciate it."
This couple could very well have to give up their independence and move into a nursing home without home and community-based services.
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