The past week has been very difficult. After a long struggle to provide care for her at home, we admitted my mother to a psychiatric hospital. Sadly, it's the only care option we have that does not require winning the lottery.
Even with what we thought was good insurance and medicare, the sad reality is that the options we would prefer are all beyond what my parents, my brothers and I could afford. There is still a good chance that providing for her care long-term will bankrupt my parents despite their once reasonable retirement savings, pension and social security.
According to recent estimates, 2.4 to 4.5 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease. [1]
Alzheimer's is the seventh-leading cause of death in the US. [2]
Neither Medicare nor private insurance covers the type of long-term care that people with Alzheimer's need [3]
While there is no movement in private insurance to add care and services for Alzheimer's dementia patients, in 2001 political pressure forced an increase to the list of services that are available via medicare. [4]
While this still does not provide coverage for the things that most experts feel are the most effective, at least it's a start.
When care decisions can be made by doctors and government bureaucrats, there is the potential to apply pressure to force changes that benefit patients. With those decisions in the hands of accountants concerned with profit and shareholders, care continues to be limited. It seems that the only times for-profit health insurance expands what is covered it's because elected officials have passed laws to force them to do so.
I wish there were fewer accountants and more bureaucrats between my parents and their healthcare.
1: http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/adfact.htm
2: http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_figures.asp
3: Chronic illness By Ilene Morof Lubkin, Pamala D. Larsen page 481
Unfortunately I sometimes
Unfortunately I sometimes have to be addressed in such manners! The main thing that would take care of your mother!
Healthcare
How rough for you, your mother, and your family... Healthcare should be more straight forward, less bureaucratic, and easier for us all. I sincerely hope things will transform form for your mother. Alzheimer's is such an intense disease for all effected.
I agree with you.
I agree with you.
We are both pissed off by
We are both pissed off by health care reform.Since the financial crunch is so pervasive, and real wages have fallen so far over the past 30 years, people wonder what they're going to do with savings – retirement funds, or college funds for their kids? Not everyone has employer/employee 401(k) contributions. If you want to get Machiavellian about it, the kids CAN get scholarships. (That isn't to say you should take that attitude, but scholarships are fewer these days.) Some people are taking to financing the start of retirement or college funds outside of savings. However, take heed that Medicare and Social Security are plagued with problems, and can’t be counted on forever – so it may be a good idea to start retirement funds with some personal loans.
Health really is very much
Health really is very much important. If a particular country has unhealthy people for sure that country won’t progress. Being healthy helps a person to do the things that he wants freely. That’s why our government is doing something for the people to acquire good health. The House is going to vote on the health care bill on Sunday, and there are a lot more Democrats crossing the line to vote for it. After original opposition, Dennis Kucinich decided to vote yes and John Boccieri (D-OH) recently decided to vote yes as well. The CBO can't determine if will trim the deficit, or send the government sprinting for pay day loans if it passes, and honestly, they have about as much accuracy as chance. Health care reform should indeed be an important issue, but I'm still not completely sold that we need government in on the action.
ahh yes, healthcare
I know what you mean, but we finially have something that we can start to work with. I think that the debate, overall, has been good for the country. Let's look some of these difficult questions in the eye as a country. Heart Surgery that costs thousands and is only available to those with lots of money isn't democratic or right. I hope that we'll come to terms with this and I hope that we can find a way to pay for this.