Nursing Home Transition
If you were injured in a car accident, would you suddenly want to have the decision about where you live taken out of your hands? Is it right that only people who can afford to pay out of pocket have choices that include staying at home?
A recent Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v. L.C. (1999) affirmed the right of individuals with disabilities to receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. As a result, communities across the nation are learning how easy and affordable it is to get individuals with disabilities set up in their own homes.
An important legal framework
Under the Olmstead decision, nursing homes are required to talk to individuals and families about residents' possible desire to live in the community again, and the State is required to develop a comprehensive plan to support this option. This landmark decision mandates that individuals with disabilities, including the elderly, must be served by the State (Medicaid/Medicare) in the least restrictive setting. The Court's decision provides an important legal framework for our mutual efforts to enable individuals to remain in or return to their homes and communities.
The challenge
Fifty-four million Americans have some level of disability; 26 million have a severe disability. Most people prefer to stay in their own homes. Yet Medicaid still spends 70 percent of its long-term care dollars on nursing homes and only 30 percent on alternative, community-based programs. At the moment, in New York State and across the nation, the long-term care system funded by Medicaid still makes it far easier to qualify for and receive supports in a nursing home setting than in the community.
Contrary to misconceptions that nursing home care is more economical, the fact is that medical advances have improved mobility and health for older individuals and people with disabilities to the point where these same supports can be provided cost-effectively within the community.
An obstacle to transition that RCIL identified early on, and sought to remedy through its Nursing Home Transition program, is the lack of funding to cover costs associated with setting up a new household. While individuals transitioning to community living have sufficient ongoing income to support their living expenses, they often lack funds for household furnishings such as basic food supplies, bed, couch, chair, dishes and silverware, bed linens and towels, rent and utilities deposits and hook-up charges, window blinds, and other needed items. This may require as little as $500, but can be a real roadblock for people who want to return home.
How RCIL can help
Having an advocate in your corner can make all the difference. Knowing your rights and having someone who has experience with the system assist you in working with health officials helps to facilitate the process and ease the transition. RCIL works closely with private and state entities and policymakers to create change, navigating the process together to ensure the most unrestricted outcome possible.
What many people don't realize is how quickly and cost-effectively a transition can be made. RCIL offers a Nursing Home Transition Program to assist people who want to move back home but lack the startup funding to make this possible. Under this program, a transition fund set up in cooperation with the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council and VESID is available to help individuals with basic transition costs.
This means that there's no need to wait. If you don't want to be in a nursing home or are at risk of being moved to one, contact RCIL.