Story Archives of 'Long Term Care'

An aging New Hampshire along with constant medical breakthroughs equals a state that has more people living longer with chronic conditions. But is New Hampshire prepared to care for an aging population? Will we have enough nursing homes and assisted care facilities? Will we have enough resources to provide for those who want to live and be cared for in the comforts of their own home? Will we have enough doctors knowledgeable in geriatric medicine who will be able to care for the health related problems of this aging generation? If so, how will we pay for it? We'll look at how the state is preparing for the caring of our state's aging population.


Guests

• Susan Young, Executive Director of the Home Care Association of New Hampshire
• John Poirier, president of the New Hampshire Health Care Association
• Dr. Stephen J Bartels, MD, MS - Professor of Psychiatry and of Community and Family Medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Past President of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, and Founding Chair of the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation

In the final installment of our series, we'll look back at what's been discussed in the course of the Long Term Care series, and then look forward as to what we're faced with in the state and what improvements can be made to make long term care more accessible and more affordable. We also want to address what families can do now, preparations that they can make so that people can be more prepared when they need to make these decisions. Laura's guests are Don Rabun, New Hampshire's Long Term Care Ombudsman. Susan Young, Executive Director of the Home Care Association of New Hampshire. Kathy Nichols, Administrator for Harborside Westwood, a private nursing home and rehabilitation Center in Keene, NH. Other guests TBA.

*This show is an edited for broadcast version of the on the road show that happened in Keene on Wednesday night*

For more on Medicaid, read our Medicaid: Basic Facts page

In the third installment of our series, we'll talk with families of those needing to make difficult decisions as to how they wish to care for their aging loved one. We'll ask them what choices they made, why they made their choices and the challenges around the choices they made. We'll also talk with a family planner who can discuss how they help families make the best choices for their lives. Laura's guest is Lisa Morris, director of the Service Link Resource Center of Belknap County, an organization that provides counseling services to individuals and families as they plan for their long-term care needs. We are also joined by Bob Ierardi and Shirley Thorne, two people dealing with long term care in their immediate family. Bob is also chair of the Family Caregivers Network.

For more on Medicaid, read our Medicaid: Basic Facts page

The rising cost of long-term care is the biggest reason for the state's current Medicaid budget woes.

One idea to save the state money is to encourage more people to buy private long term care insurance. Currently only two-point-six-percent of the state's over 50 population own policies.

New Hampshire Public Radio's Amy Quinton examines why so few people in the state have long term care insurance and what they need to think about before buying it.

In the first installment of our series, we'll look at the politics, the economics, the health aspects and family dynamics of the different long term care options in the state. We'll look at public and private nursing homes, assisted and independent living facilities and homecare. We'll look at the struggles some of these facilities are facing and challenges that they are trying to meet. Laura's guests are John Poirier, President of the New Hampshire Healthcare Association. Jim Monahan, lobbyist for the New Hampshire Association of Counties. Susan Young, Executive Director of the Home Care Association of New Hampshire and John Stephen, Commissioner for the New Hampshire Department of Heath and Human Services.