March 11th, 2009

Reports the Morning Call:

Pennsylvania still lags behind most other states in keeping seniors out of nursing facilities, a new report indicates, despite an ongoing push to help them stay in their homes.

Pennsylvania ranked fourth in terms of total Medicaid expenditures, according to the report from AARP, but only 39th in terms of the percentage of money it dedicates to offering seniors home or community-based services.

Studies not only show that most seniors want to avoid nursing homes, but officials say it’s less expensive to care for them if they stay at home, even if they require some medical or other assistance.

Ray Landis, advocacy manager for AARP Pennsylvania, said Pennsylvania is taking steps to help people stay in their homes, but it has yet to take the strides some other states have.

Find out more from the Morning Call.