Long-term care is an important part of the healthcare industry. This is crucial for elderly individuals who are not able to take care of themselves any longer. The public has invested billions in long-term care and many want to do what it takes to improve the overall quality of long-term care programs. Sadly, many long-term care facilities are staffed by individuals who don’t have the right amount of training and there is a long way to go.
Improving Long-Term Care Via the Regulatory Process
Many people think that the most practical way to change long-term care is to go through the regulatory process. If these facilities are held accountable in stricter ways, then the care is likely going to improve. There are ways that the current regulatory system could be altered. For example, having more diverse survey teams could ensure that certain issues aren’t slipping through the cracks.
Organizations that exist to improve the quality of care received at these facilities can help as well. Surveyors might be able to work with these organizations to ensure that changes are implemented. It will be a long road to ensuring that the quality in long-term care facilities gets to where it needs to be. Everyone agrees that something needs to be done and improvements to the regulatory process will be a practical way to get there.
Improving Long-Term Care Via Cultural Change
Cultural change has the potential to improve the quality of long-term care, too. If long-term care facilities can transform the way that they approach providing care for elderly individuals, then things will improve substantially. Currently, long-term care facilities are focused on serving the group and many problems fall through the cracks. If the facilities can shift to become more person-focused, then the quality of care that each individual receives will go up quite a bit.
Improving things by shifting the entire idea of what long-term care facilities should be might sound like a dramatic solution. However, it’s worth noting that most don’t think that the current approach is working right. It’s understood that there is a problem and now it is up to professionals to fix it. If a shift in philosophy can ensure that all patients are taken care of properly, then it’s certainly worth trying.