June 20th, 2008

Today, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging Crystal Lowe, wrote in the Philly Inquirer about how this year’s budget plan should focus on readjusting long-term healthcare dollars.  Lowe points out that as more baby boomers opt to stay in their home, rather than go to a nursing home, we must eventually re-allocate the state’s funding to be 50% for nursing homes and 50% for in-home care.

Most states in the country, including PA, are currently redesigning their long term care system.  This is a huge change for Pennsylvania, because just ten years ago we spent 97% of our long-term care dollars on nursing homes.  However, Lowe points out that speeding up this redesigning process will benefit the people being cared for - and is also economically and fiscally smart.

She writes, “Our hard-earned tax dollars can go a lot further supporting people in the community. At least two people can receive the services that they’d need to live in their homes for less than the cost of one person living in a nursing home.

Even with rebalancing, public financing of nursing homes in Pennsylvania is still strong. In fact, state payments to the facilities grew 34 percent faster than inflation during the last five years. Conversely, the number of older adults and people with disabilities choosing to receive care at home has doubled.”