Lack of Funding to Mean Less Access to Long-Term Care for Older Americans

The year 2009 will witness a crisis in funding of long-term care for older adults, predicts Dr. Patricia Parmelee, director of the Center for Mental Health and Aging at The University of Alabama.

“Thanks to the ‘graying of America,’ both nursing homes and home health agencies are facing increasing demand for services,” says Parmelee. “However, the federal funding that supports long-term care services is not keeping pace with this demand.

“Add to that the current economic downturn that has resulted in a rise in Medicaid enrollment among Americans of all ages, far outpacing growth of program funding.”

“Thus, access to long-term care services may become more limited, and efforts to recoup nursing home costs from families of Medicaid recipients will become more common,” Parmelee says.

“The burden of these changes will fall disproportionately on families, who will shoulder an even greater responsibility for care of frail, older Americans.”