Your project this week is to discuss the cases on pages 211-215, “Home Healthcare Case: Joan and Jerry”, “Hospice Case: Pierre”, and “Adult Day Care Case: Wilma and Karen”:
1. Home Healthcare Case: Given what you have learned about the accessibility and financing of home care services, are such services as readily available to other consumers as they were to Joan and Jerry? Should Joan and Jerry have applied for home health care sooner, and, if so, who should have made them aware of the benefits of home health care?
2. Hospice Case: The doctors were pretty sure Pierre had less than six months to live, so he fell within the guidelines for hospice coverage. Should hospice coverage be limited to those with six months or less to live, or should others be covered? Why?
3. Adult Day Care Case: Although Wilma is clearly benefiting from day care, so are Lorenzo and Karen. Should society (Medicaid) be paying for something that benefits them, even though they are not poor? If there was not a day care center available for Wilma, do you think she would be able to continue living with Karen and Lorenzo? If not, to what type of long-term care facility would she likely be admitted?