skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Multiple victims following a shooting incident on the UNLV campus; research in Georgia receives a boost for Alzheimer's treatments and cure; and a new environmental justice center helps Nebraska communities and organizations.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump says he would be a dictator for one day if he wins, Kevin McCarthy is leaving the body he once led and Biden says not passing aid for Ukraine could embolden Putin.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Texas welcomes more visitors near Big Bend but locals worry the water won't last, those dependent on Colorado's Dolores River fear the same but have found common ground solutions, and a new film highlights historical healthcare challenges in rural Appalachia.

Washington State Tops List in Long-Term Care Report

play audio
Play

Wednesday, June 14, 2017   

SEATTLE - Washington tops the list for providing long-term care options for its residents in a report released today.

The report measures the care available in states based on accessibility, choice and quality. It also assesses their support for family caregivers and the transitions between health facilities and home.

Bea Rector, assistant secretary of aging and long-term support administration at the state Department of Social and Health Services, said Washington state provides a range of services for people as they age.

"We have created in Washington a very nice continuum of care that includes in-home options, licensed residential options, such as assisted-living facilities and adult family homes, as well as nursing homes for folks that need the 24/7 access to skilled nursing care," she said.

Even though the state ranks number one in this report, Rector said, there still is room to improve. She said her agency is rolling out initiatives this year for affordable-housing options and employment for people with disabilities.

Among the state's accomplishments is the CARE Act, which requires that hospitals notify and consult with caregivers before patients are discharged. Rector said Medicaid also is a critical part of the care system, especially as the number of older Washingtonians doubles in the next 20 years. Proposals by the Trump administration and in the U.S. House health-care bill would cut more than $1 trillion dollars from Medicaid - but Rector said that without the program, long-term care would be out of reach for many.

"Medicaid pays for about 60 percent of all nursing-home beds in Washington state," she said, "and Medicaid picks up all of the public payments associated with community-based care."

Rector added that family caregivers still are the backbone of the caregiving system. More than 820,000 Washingtonians provide care for loved ones.

The new AARP report, which was compiled jointly by AARP, the Commonwealth Fund and the SCAN Foundation, is online at longtermscorecard.org.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A recent survey by the Anti-Defamation League found nearly three in four Jewish students in the U.S. have experienced or witnessed antisemitism this school year. The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights has also opened investigations into alleged Islamophobic incidents at least a half-dozen colleges and universities. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

College presidents testified before a congressional committee Tuesday on the rise of antisemitism on college campuses since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led …


Social Issues

play sound

There are some bright spots in beefing up local news coverage, but a new report says in North Dakota and elsewhere, there are still big concerns …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Holiday stress is a concern for most people, but when you mix in travel plans and chronic health issues, those worries might be elevated. A …


The average cost in Ohio for college tuition and fees is around $10,049 per year, according to the Education Data Initiative. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finds the repayment process for federal student loans has been filled with errors…

Social Issues

play sound

More than 3,500 foster children are available for adoption in Ohio, and state agencies are connecting with local faith congregations to help recruit …

An endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle swims off San Francisco, in September 2022. (Geoff Shester/Oceana)

Environment

play sound

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife just announced a marine warden discovered an endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle dead, drowned …

Health and Wellness

play sound

The state's largest county has just opened the new CARE Court system, designed to get help for severely mentally ill people in Los Angeles. CARE …

Environment

play sound

A Knoxville-based environmental group is voicing health and safety concerns about the development of a landfill for radioactive waste from the Y12 Ura…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021