"Long-Term Living in PA" Website
On September 4, 2008, the Pennsylvania Office of Long-term Living "launched an updated Web site to better serve Pennsylvanians who are seeking information and resources about long term living services."
Announcement of the new website occurred in a Press Release (09/04/08) issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, entitled "Pennsylvania Launches New Web Site Offering Resources To Help Meet Long Term Living Needs", which noted the revamped website named Long-Term Living in PA.
The Press Release quoted representatives of the PDA:
- "Planning to meet long term living needs -- whether for ourselves or for a loved one -- is one of the most important tasks we face, and one that can be challenging. This new Web site provides valuable information to make it easier to plan for the future," said Secretary of Aging Nora Dowd Eisenhower.
- "Whether you are a consumer, family member, caregiver, attendant or provider, you will have easy access to information about services and local resources on this site," said OLTL Deputy Secretary Mike Hall.
- Provides background on long-term living
- Explains personal "needs assessment" and explores the continuum of care --- occasional to minimal to significant to maximum, whether in the home, in the community, in a residence, or in an institution
- Explains home-oriented and community-based services, including programs of the PDA
- Explores planning for long-term care -- why, when, what, who, & how, with tools
- Notes the need to help others, including caregivers, and to remain alert for elder abuse
- Identifies providers of caregiving services, and their required credentials & reports
- Reviews fraud and abuse potentials
- Lists consumer rights & responsibilities
- Considers payment sources, including Medicare, Medicaid, veterans' benefits, private payment, and long-term care insurance
- Lists other online resources (federal, state, helpline, & organizational)
- Updates "special initiatives" underway in PA state government
The new website demonstrates the commitment of the Commonwealth's Executive Branch to provide reliable information, specific to this state, about long-term care needs, options, and resources.
A Pennsylvanian should review Long-Term Living in PA first, when investigating this subject online.
Update: 09/08/08:
The Los Angeles Times published a brief "bookmark" on September 8, 2008, entitled "Plan for long-term care," which cited the national informational website on this topic:
Few people like to think about the prospect of living in a nursing home, but you're in for a financial shock if you don't plan for the possibility.
Americans typically need three years of long-term care during their lifetime, according to the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information, and it doesn't come cheap. * * *
