North Dakota Long Term Care Association Issue Briefs 2003

Long Term Care Options For North Dakotans

Position: 
The North Dakota Long Term Care Association believes North Dakota needs to provide funding and support for a continuum of services including in-home, basic care and nursing home care.  Each level of service meets a vital and unique set of individual and community needs.

Nursing Facility Services:
Over 6,200 North Dakotans look to nursing homes each month to provide a level of care that is otherwise not available at home or elsewhere.

Nursing facilities provide care to our poorest citizens.  Approximately 3,650 individuals are served monthly by nursing homes through Medicaid.

Nursing facilities provide care for individuals who require 24-hour continuous nursing and medical care.  Physician orders are necessary for admission.

The number one reason a person enters a nursing facility is because family members can no longer care for them at home.  Intermittent, in-home services are not enough.

The average age of a nursing facility resident in North Dakota is 84.  The age range is 16 to 109 years old.

Nursing facilities are there when no one else can be.

Cost of Nursing Facility Care:
In 2002, the average cost for nursing facility care in North Dakota was $129.71/day.  That amounts to $5.40/hour.  Just think $5.40/hour for therapy, nursing care, food, lodging, activities, over-the-counter drugs, personal assistance with bathing, eating and walking.  Nursing facilities are the best health care bargain for individuals who need intense, 24-hour skilled nursing care.  Where do you find this level of help for $5.40/hour?

Nursing facilities provide services to individuals who require 24-nursing care to meet their medical needs.  The proposed increase for the 2003-2005 biennium is $7.4 million or a 2.4% increase.

IGT Trust Funds:
IGT Trust Fund dollars were created by nursing facilities.

The funds generated from IGT would not be available without the existence of two governmental nursing facilities in our state. 

The fund would not grow unless we counted every nursing facility delivering daily care to individuals in need of 24-hour care

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July 31 2003 || www.ndltca.org/data/data08.html