The United States is facing an influx in the senior population, hence the need to acquire and use available resources to maximize value and efficiency. Notably, most people in their late adulthood have physical and mental conditions that make them need assistance in daily living. The clients may not have enough savings plans or a source of income to afford them admission to a nursing home. In turn, several residential care facilities receive sponsorship to care for the ageing population. The National Council for Aging Care (NCAC) is responsible for providing licensure, resources, and other forms of support to such organizations. This research paper aims to provide the history, stakeholder roles, client activities, challenges, and recommendations for the NCAC.
History and Background of the Organization
Adult family homes have become a common terminology as the United States population ages. The residential facilities provide a controlled, healthier and safer ecosystem for providing care to the elderly (Potra 3). Family members who have older relatives and want to offer them safety and optimal care in the late years increasingly consider the institutions. The rationale is that it allows the adults to continue working actively in building the economy as their loved ones receive professional care. Thus, the projection of assisted living facilities shows that the field is expected to grow and needs more managers, operators, and caregivers.
The NCAC is an institution founded on the belief that every individual has a right to age well. It was founded in 1950 and has since been involved in making life better for the ageing population of the United States (National Council on Aging Official Website). The vision of NCAC is to enable a just and caring society for the older citizens to have security, purpose and dignity. Remarkably, the company was the first national organization that started advocacy for older adults. Some of the successes that NCAC has achieved since its establishment include ending mandatory retirement, securing Medicaid and Medicare, and pushing for the legislation of, the Older Americans Act.
The organization provides collaborative efforts in ensuring that as Americans live for longer, they age with dignity. For instance, the company provides advice and resources to the local organizations that work with senior citizens (The National Council on Aging). One of their operation areas is helping people make healthy living initiatives, including illness prevention and ageing mastery. The other area of focus is financial security which is concerned with job training, retirement planning, money management and benefits enrolment. All the information provided to the client is personalized, unbiased and credible. Furthermore, the NCAC provides ongoing technical assistance to the geriatric healthcare professionals.
Stakeholder Roles and Analysis
The NCAC works with employees from the field of business management, health and mental care, and other operators. The professionals play different roles in enhancing the sustainability of the institution. For instance, the nurses, psychologists, physicians, religious leaders, and psychiatrists ensure that clients receive holistic care while in their placement. The accountants, managers and administrators are responsible for ensuring that the organization runs smoothly as they fulfil the mission and plan on how to improve efficiency of operation without compromising the standards of care. Additionally, there are other support staff such as cleaners, cooks, and security personnel who play a big role in the day to day running of geriatric homes.
As a stakeholder, the government and other partners provide the legislation and financial support needed for the successful operation of NCAC. For instance, through the Medicaid and Medicare insurance program, the elderly people from families with low incomes can access care at a subsidized or free cost (Travers et al., 51). Moreover, the government provides the operation licensure and may help in deploying staff. Through such activities as crowdfunding, the public help to provide money for not-for-profit nursing homes to provide quality care (Miller et al. 408). Thus, the responsibility of caring for the ageing population should be taken by all people as a form of civic leadership.
Clients and the family members are important stakeholders to NCAC as they are the reason for the organization’s existence. The primary clients are the geriatric population who are mostly above seventy-five years and are likely to have declining physical and cognitive abilities (VanRavenstein et al., 3). The customer’s role is to express their needs so that care is customized to enhance their holistic wellness. Moreover, they should engage in activities such as exercise, cleaning, eating a balanced diet and attending psychoeducation as directed by their caregivers. The clients who still have some abilities and skills can continue using their experience to work. They need to provide documents for applying the Medicare and comply with all the regulations without causing unnecessary resistance. Their relatives work closely with the healthcare providers to offer information and support to the patients.
Challenges Faced by the Organization
Nursing care facilities face significant challenges due to the nature of their operations and other external threats. Insufficient resources and finances to deliver high-quality care to the geriatric patients remains a puzzle for NCAC and other nursing homes that they oversee (Martin 23). Notably, the senior citizens are likely to be on retirement with no salary or even benefits if they were in an informal employment. Yet, some of the adults are not eligible for the Medicare, or the processing of finance takes a long time. Therefore, finding enough money to manage the geriatric residents is difficult.
Providing a safe and secure environment for the elderly is a significant challenge due to their cognitive and physical impairment. The body of old people is often fragile, and they have low balance, which implies that they are at risk of frequent falls from stairs, bathrooms, pavement, and at the field. Yet, most adults feel shame in asking for help as they prefer having independence in carrying out their activities (Munly et al. 3). Moreover, due to mental health issues such as dementia, the senior citizens can forget easily or wander away. The implication is that the care providers for such patients have extra work and can easily suffer from burnout and stress. Thus, when the human resource managers fail to provide sufficient psychological support, the workplace can become toxic to both the employees and the clients.
Recommendations for the Organization
It is important for the NCAC to adopt a universal aging design that supports a well functional living community. The administrator should understand all laws, regulations and statutes related to the provision of care programs to senior citizens (Darlene Yee-Melichar 13). The importance of compliance is that it saves on time and resources because the institution does not have issues with the law enforcement officers. Moreover, all stakeholders should understand their function to enhance cooperation and teamwork in the delivery of care (Brandon 193). Benchmarking in other countries that are providing better services also helps in understanding the services to prioritize and standardize for a better experience.
Investing in safety technologies such as medic alerts, exit monitoring, motion sensors, and alarms is important for NCAC. Also, providing a cohesive staff resident group increases the chances of meeting the needs of clients promptly. Communication strategies that ensure all members understand the mission and vision of the organization is crucial in the sustainability efforts (Solis 271). It is necessary for the administrators to offer psychological support to the caregivers because working with a vulnerable population can take a toll on someone’s mental health. Frequent appraisal of staff can also motivate them to continue working wholeheartedly as they feel that the employers acknowledge the efforts that they are making.
In summary, the NCAC endeavors to provide a safe, purposeful, and dignified ageing to all American citizens. The organization has been serving the geriatric population for more than sixty decades. It offers a range of services both to the individual and potential clients, as well as nursing homes that care for elderly people. Through its efforts, there are positive regulation changes that the government has implemented. Sustainability of the NCAC depends mainly on the cooperation of all stakeholders, such as the employees, the government, sponsors and clients. However, there are several financial, managerial, security and technical challenges that NCAC faces. To mitigate the threats and enhance sustainability, it is recommended to adopt a universal care plan and invest in relevant technologies.
Works Cited
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