Long Term Care Tennessee
Long Term Care Survey
by AARP
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - According to a new AARP survey, when asked almost nine out of 10 Tennessee voters said that is was very important to them to
have long-term care services available. Those services would allow them to stay in their homes and communities.
Just two years ago only 58 percent of Tennesseans surveys said they
strongly supported increased funding for home and community-based services. Now 72 percent of those surveyed said they strongly support increasing funds for services that would help people stay in their homes as
long as possible.
"This is huge,'' said AARP Tennessee State Director Rebecca Kelly. "It shows the momentum for change is continuing to build in Tennessee. More
and more people are recognizing the need for more long-term care services that will allow them and their loved ones to live independently.''
According to AARP, possibly the most significant reason for the increased support was the fact that the telephone survey of 811 Tennesseans included all registered likely voters, even those as young as 18.
Two years ago, only likely voters age 35 and older were questioned. This was done because it was believed that voters 35 years and older would be
more likely to have concerns about the lack of long-term care options in Tennessee.
"We found that's just not true. People of all ages are thinking about the
best ways to care for their families,'' Kelly said.
According to the results, 60 percent of respondents said they're worried about being able to receive long-term care services in the setting where
they want them, while less than a quarter of those surveyed said they were very confident or extremely confident they could afford such help for themselves or their family.
In Tennessee, care in a nursing home costs about $66,000 a year, while two hours of daily care in the home costs about $14,000 a year, according to surveys by Metlife Mature Market Institute.
Despite that, nearly 99 percent of almost $1 billion in federal funding for long-term care services goes to nursing homes (some $943 million), with
only $10.8 million spent on home and community-based services such as caregiver respite and delivered meals, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The survey results came out in time to support Gov. Phil Bredesen's "Long-Term Care Community Choices Act of 2008,'' which is a bill seeking to
restructure the system in Tennessee so that more people have access to services in their homes and neighborhoods.
"AARP supports the governor's goal and will continue to work with him and
state lawmakers as the legislation moves through the General Assembly,'' Kelly said.
More than 100 AARP volunteers will be distributing copies of the survey to
state legislators over the next several weeks as the bill moves through committees.
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