Long-term care (LTC) constitutes a variety of services available to patients that require care for an extended period. These could constitute recovery from injuries, treatment of extended or chronic disorders, end-of-life care, and so forth (Belchamber, 2021). Long-term care systems in Texas provide a variety of options based on an individual’s needs. The reasons why a system should be equipped to provide a variety of LTC services stem from the fact that equipping a facility to provide every sort of potential service is expensive, meaning that many patients will not be able to afford it. Dedicated facilities are smaller, require less personnel, and could focus on providing the highest quality of service in their selected field.
Some examples of preventative LTC services include screenings, restorative vacation facilities, and vaccination programs. Screenings for various diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and other potential healthcare issues, take time and allow the prevention of potential negative outcomes (Shi & Singh, 2022). Restorative vacations are recommended for people of all ages to facilitate proper development, reduce stress, and improve general physical and mental wellness. Vaccination programs allow countering dangerous diseases by artificially stimulating immune responses to various viral and bacterial agents (Shi & Singh, 2022). Preventative LTC services, thus, play an important role in reducing the number of incidents that would require much more continuous and expensive care.
The chosen LTCs for this paper is Belmont Village Turtle Creek and Brookdale Lake Highlands. Both of these facilities provide end-of-life care to elderly patients, offering an assortment of services related to non-invasive and preventative care. Belmont Village offers services in housekeeping, linen changing, meal preparation, salon services, maintenance, transportation, and parking (“Belmont Village Turtle Creek,” 2021). In addition, the personnel at the facilities have been trained to administer medications to patients that require them (“Belmont Village Turtle Creek,” 2021). These are relatively basic services that aim to cater to the elderly who do not experience any significant health issues, limited mobility, and other conditions that would require more extensive and qualified standards of care.
Brookdale Lake Highlands offers a similar plethora of services, those being bathing, dressing, grooming, and ambulation. They also offer a variety of restorative and preventative activities for patients, including clubs, swimming, dancing, and sports among others (“Brookedale Lake Highlands,” 2021). The facility does not offer any case management but does seek to tailor the experience and services provided to each patient rather than offering standardized hospitality and treatment to everyone (“Brookedale Lake Highlands,” 2021). The differences between the two companies are slim, as they compete with one another for the same customers. It appears that Brookdale offers a more tailored experience, while Belmont offers a generally higher standard of care.
The patient population appropriate to both of these LTC facilities includes elderly populations for a peaceful end-of-life experience as well as daily care that does not involve complex medical treatments. While these organizations can handle offering assistance in mobility, housekeeping, and restorative entertainment, they are not equipped to deal with serious health issues. It is recommended for these facilities to keep a small number of well-trained medical personnel on hand in case of an emergency and have the contacts of the nearest hospitals to handle acute health problems (Belchamber, 2021). Aging populations require a higher quality of supervision and care, as well as precautions to avoid injuries and exacerbation of existing health issues.
References
Belchamber, C. (2021). Payne’s handbook of relaxation techniques: A practical handbook for the health care professional. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Belmont Village Turtle Creek. (2021).
Brookdale Lake Highlands. (2021).
Shi, L., & Singh, D.A. (2022). Delivering health care in America: A systems approach (8th ed.). Jones and Bartlett Learning.