Long-term Care Benefits for Same-Sex Partners
Soon same-sex partners of federal government employees will have access to long-term care insurance benefits.
Last week, the Office of Personnel Management report that partners of federal employees who qualify for long-term care insurance will also soon be able to participate in the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program. Starting in July, same-sex couples will be able to sign up for long-term care benefits.
The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program has programs to cover federal employees including those at the U.S. Postal Service, active and retired armed forces members, and qualified relatives of those federal workers. The new eligibility does not extend to other benefits at this time.
Preventing Elderly Falls in Long-Term Care Facilities
Almost 500,000 nursing home residents are taken to emergency rooms every year. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes that improved preventative measures could reduce the number of emergency room visits annually.
According to the CDC, assisted living facilities and nursing homes can greatly reduce emergency hospital visits by revving up their fall-prevention plans.
VA Touted as Leader in Approaching Long-Term Care
Dr. John Morley, a professor of gerontology and contributor to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch praises the Veterans Administration for their innovative approaches in long-term care for the nation’s veterans.
The VA runs the VA Hospital Based Primary Care Program. It offers veterans with chronic diseases home care when it becomes too difficult for them to go see a doctor. That alone makes it a beneficial program, but it has also been shown to reduce costs while keeping veterans at home, where they are the most comfortable.
Another pioneering program run by the VA is the Veterans Medical Foster Home. At the MFH, volunteers receive veterans into their homes as a way of preventing keeping them from entering nursing homes.
Tags: Assisted Living News, long term care insurance, senior care news
