The SCAN Foundation

Caregiving is a tricky business. Family members and friends who lend a hand in providing long-term services and supports enter a stress-filled world, where their own health may become at risk because of the burden of being a caregiver. The federal government is providing new resources for those already enrolled as caregivers, and others who may assume the role, according to a May 26, 2010 announcement by the federal government. These new resources include videos for researchers and policymakers that provide insight into the demands on caregivers as they deliver long-term services and supports.

Daughters are more likely than sons to suffer from depression when caring for a parent who is recovering from a stroke, according to a presentation at the Canadian Stroke Congress. A stroke patient often needs long-term services and supports to recover, and daughters typically take the role of caregiver, the person in charge of arranging and managing the supports and services.

Medicaid in many states will pay for the cost of assisted living facilities, which provide a welcome alternative for people who need long-term services and supports, and want to avoid going into a nursing home. Assisted living residences typically have meals provided, a nurse on duty, help with taking medications, and assistance with activities such as bathing. Medicaid reimbursement for assisted living “can be a tremendous benefit, but the design and implementation of these programs has too often led to discrimination against Medicaid-eligible residents, eviction, and other types of poor care,” according to the January 2010 report “Medicaid Payment for Assisted Living: Current State Practices and Recommendations for Improvement,” by the National Senior Citizens Law Center.

Assisted living communities are home to a million people who are receiving long-term services and supports, but usually at a much less intense level than the care available in nursing homes. Unlike nursing homes, which are under a relatively strict set of rules because the nursing homes receive large amounts of federal money, the assisted living industry is regulated by the states, and there is great variation in state handling of this industry. The continuum of care in assisted living facilities varies — some residents may just need to be reminded to take their medicines, others will need help with bathing — making the application of regulations uncertain, with each state having different policies and approaches. “A long term care option preferred by many individuals and their families because of its emphasis on resident choice, dignity, and privacy, assisted living continues to grow while adapting to changes in consumer wants and needs,” according to a March, 2010 report “Assisted Living State Regulatory Review 2010," by the National Center for Assisted Living.