Even though I spent twenty one years with my late wife Nancy navigating through the ongoing horror which is the US health care system, and system of services for the disabled, I don't study or write about it much anymore. I suppose it's mostly sheer burnout, combined with demoralization over the overall national political climate under which debates around these issues are carried on.
An interesting article caught my eye however about a lawsuit in Florida which is attempting to ensure funding for home and community care for people who are now forced into a position where nursing homes are their only option.
As my generation ages this is going to increasingly become a front and center issue.
I don't want to demonize the nursing care industry. Nancy's last few months of life were spent in a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) and given the severity of her disability and illness home care was not a realistic option. If anything, there should be a national effort to improve the living conditions in nursing homes, and that effort should include increased funding, more vigorous governmental oversight, increased community involvement, and insistance that nursing home residents be afforded basic human rights and freedom.
But there are many people who could live in the community or with their families with increased community support resources.
The lawsuit in Florida described in this article addresses this issue.
