MAKE US YOUR HOMEPAGE
|
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
|
WIRELESS
CONTACT US
|
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES
|
SIGN IN
SIGN OUT
|
MY PROFILE PAGE
|
MY ACCOUNT
Advanced Search
Current Conditions
22°
(Feels like 13°)
5-day local forecast
Home
News
Sports
Business
Special Projects
Blogs
Scene
Obits
Videos
Photos
Databases
Opinion
Comics
Jobs
Autos
Homes
Classifieds
Contact Us
|
About the Tulsa World
|
FAQ & Help
|
Advertise With Us
|
Create an Online Account
|
Email Newsletters
|
RSS
|
Mobile
|
iPhone App
|
E-Edition
Local
|
State
|
US/World
|
Education
|
Health
|
Religion
|
Courts
|
Government
|
Stimulus Tracker
|
Weather
|
Births
|
Divorces
|
Marriages
|
Transitions
OU
|
OSU
|
TU
|
ORU
|
High Schools
|
College Football
|
College Basketball
|
Blogs
|
Out Pick the Picker Contest & Blog
|
NFL
|
Fantasy
|
Pros
|
Golf
|
Outdoors
|
Motor Sports
|
All
Stocks
|
Aerospace
|
Agriculture
|
Employment
|
Energy
|
Real Estate
|
Finance
|
Tech
|
Retail
|
Transportation
|
FYI
|
Consumer Awareness
|
Action Line
Special Projects
|
The Homicide Report
|
The SemGroup Collapse
|
Puppy Profits
|
The Life of Oral Roberts
|
The Life of Will Rogers
Sports
|
Scene
|
Opinion
|
Photo
Dining In
|
Dining Out
|
Movies
|
Music
|
On TV
|
The Arts
|
Style
|
People
|
Home
|
Health
|
Family
|
Books
|
Travel
|
Celebrations
|
Blogs
Obituaries
|
Memorials
|
Death Notices
|
Support
|
Resources
|
Funeral Directors Login
|
Search Obituaries
|
Find a funeral home or cemetery
|
Divorces
|
Marriages
|
Transitions
Videos
|
Blogs
Photos
|
Blogs
|
Order photo and page reproductions
Databases
|
State Salaries
|
City Salaries
|
Gas Station Violations
|
Crime Tracker
|
State Restaurant Inspection Reports
Editorials
|
Letters
|
Bruce Plante's Political Cartoons
|
Readers Forum
|
Wayne Greene's Blog
|
Mike Jones' Blog
|
Stems & Pieces
Comics Kingdom Online
|
Comics from the Tulsa World Print Edition
Job Search
|
Career Resources
|
Upload/Modify Resume
|
Hiring Companies
|
Career Fairs
|
Account Profile
|
Job Alerts
|
Employer Login
My Saved Searches
|
My Saved Ads
|
Boats
|
Motorcycles
|
Recreational Vehicles
|
Airplanes
|
Classic Cars
|
ATV's
|
Scooters
|
Sell Your Car
Property Search
|
Commercial Property
|
Foreclosures
|
World of Homes
|
Find a Realtor
|
Real Estate Login
Garage Sales
|
Pets
|
Post An Ad
|
Upload a Photo
|
Help & FAQ
Home
>
News
> Article
Newspaper View
Print
Email
Comment
RSS
Bookmark
If you would like to bookmark this article you will need to
Login
to your tulsaworld.com account
close
Clients say assistance is a clear ADvantage
Personal care assistant Marie Brown (left) hands Margie Goodell her breakfast at Goodell’s home. Goodell, who is 73 and blind, has participated in the ADvantage Waiver program since 2003. JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World
By GINNIE GRAHAM World Staff Writer
Published:
1/16/2008 1:34 AM
Last Modified: 1/16/2008 1:34 AM
Clients of an in-home assistance program are happy with its benefits, a study shows.
Five days a week, Margie Goodell has an aide from Ability Resources help with housekeeping and some personal care in her apartment.
In 2003, Goodell was considering moving into nursing care because of her deteriorating health. She requires oxygen and has arthritis, diabetes and a hereditary eye disease that has led to blindness.
Instead, she chose to participate in the ADvantage Waiver program, which allows her to stay in her home with assistance.
"I don't think I'd be happy in a nursing home and feel blessed I have these services," Goodell, 73, said. "It has caused me to have a better outlook on life. I feel I have everything I need to live on my own, and I'm amazed at the help I have."
A recent scientific study by Oklahoma State University researchers evaluated how satisfied clients are with the services provided through the ADvantage program, which contracts with about 420 providers statewide.
The study found that consumers "overwhelmingly" reported benefits to their quality of life and quality of care from the program.
Recommendations for improvement include promoting more empowerment for consumers, consider- ing providing a confidential or anonymous review of providers, and ensuring that all consumers know the toll-free telephone number for the Tulsa-based Long Term Care Authority, which administers the program.
Deborah Karns, the authority's CEO, said: "Nothing jumped out as a surprise to me, because we take the pulse of the program all the time. It was more of a confirmation. We are going to use this tool in the future.
"All of these recommendations we can address with expending little resources," she said. "These are procedural and policy issues we can take care of within the provider community. We want to see where we can enhance and improve what we are doing."
The $88,000 study was funded through a federal grant. A significant part of the work was designing a model to collect this type of data, and the authority will keep using the model.
Researchers took a representative sample of clients and conducted in-person and telephone interviews beginning in the spring of 2006.
Study author and lead researcher Whitney Brosi recommended that future surveys include a depression scale for consumers and one to solicit information from family members.
Karns said a different survey would be more appropriate for relatives.
"It's always good to have more information," she said. "In reality, to get at that information, we would need to ask a different set of questions and train interviewers differently."
ADvantage providers and the authority can make mental-health referrals for depression, Karns said.
"We are aware it exists," she said. "As a society, we don't deal that well with depression. But we do have mental-health services available."
The ADvantage Waiver program receives federal Medicaid and state funds.
Department of Human Services spokeswoman Mary Leaver said DHS pays the authority $5 million to administer the program through a contract extension until March 31.
The agencies are negotiating for a contract to begin April 1.
"We are committed to the program," Leaver said. "More and more people each day are taking advantage of the program, and we definitely want to see it grow."
Ginnie Graham 581-8376
ginnie.graham@tulsaworld.com
COST SAVINGS
Expected Medicaid-related costs for fiscal year 2008:
$411 million for 19,288 Oklahoma nursing-home patients
$198 million for 23,749 ADvantage Waiver participants
By GINNIE GRAHAM World Staff Writer
Copy Text
Search for this phrase/name
Close
Newspaper View
Print
Email
Comment
RSS
Bookmark
If you would like to bookmark this article you will need to
Login
to your tulsaworld.com account
close
Reader Comments
Show: Most Recent Comment First
Add your comment
3
comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!
Reporting Comments
If you see a comment that violates our
terms and conditions
, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. --
Web Editor Jason Collington
Report Comment
debbie
, broken arrow (1/16/2008 8:57:46 AM)
I think these services are wonderful for the elderly. Nursing homes are good in some respects, but people have to just sit usually and watch other people die. If families, friends and services like these, even churches, would become more involved in reaching out to the elderly they would have a much higher quality of life.
Report Comment
wtf
, tulsa (1/16/2008 7:57:07 PM)
as long as the care is COMPETENT!! our experience with in home care resulted in medication dosage problems, persons who didn't know how to properly operate a feeding tube, couldn't make a stick to draw blood and pin cushioned the patient for 20 minutes, then when they had to reschedule the appointment for a blood draw, it was a nightmare to reschedule - they forgot, they were late, the next person couldn't do the stick, - and on and on and on.
-----
i think lack of supervision of hired help is a serious problem and the turnover rate resulted in problems as well. constantly having to review patient's care requirements with the new person resulted in poor quality of care for patient.
---------
being able to stay home and feel good about that is important but only to the extent that the care they receive in the home isn't causing more problems.
------
i am all for at home care but i repeat - IT HAS TO BE COMPETENT CONISISTENT AND QUALITY CARE!!
Report Comment
a
, tulsa (1/17/2008 6:41:44 AM)
You are absolutely right, wtf. It is a constant challenge for this industry to find and keep competent help due to the low wages offered.
Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must
sign in to Tulsaworld.com
. If you do not have a site account, you can
create an account for free
.
Post Your Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Comments made yesterday
2,108
Total Comments
1,034,009
Register to make reader comments
1) Tulsa mayor wants to use grant money to hire back officers
2) Man arrested in Tulsa kidnapping also investigated in 2007 disappearance
3) Debating a penny
4) Tulsa man pleads guilty to murdering mom, cousin
5) Tulsa Denny's restaurant busy after Super Bowl ad promotion
6) Shawnee police shoot, kill knife-wielding man
7) Missing boy shows up at Oklahoma City school
8) Tulsa man, Coweta woman plead guilty in mortgage conspiracy
9) Tulsa team helps Haitian reportedly buried 22 days
10) Two injured in highway crash
View the top 50
These are the most viewed stories in the last 24 hours.
1) Tulsa police will not respond to some calls
2) Panel advances Bible-education bill
3) No cuts planned for mayor's staff
4) Gunman robs new north Tulsa grocery
5) Sarah Palin assails Obama at 'tea party' gathering
6) Tea Party movement looks to continue momentum
7) Officer out on bail after bar incident
8) Debating a penny
9) Tulsa mayor wants to use grant money to hire back officers
10) Most snow melts in mild storm
View the top 50
These are the top stories that have been commented on in the past 7 days.
1) Man arrested in Tulsa kidnapping also investigated in 2007 disappearance
2) Tulsa Denny's restaurant busy after Super Bowl ad promotion
3) Income tax credit: Making Work Pay
4) Tulsa team helps Haitian reportedly buried 22 days
5) Oklahoma legislature honors 'The Biggest Loser' winner
6) There's a job at the SHOP
7) Two Tulsa school board members unseated
8) Debating a penny
9) Tulsa man, Coweta woman plead guilty in mortgage conspiracy
10) Tulsa man pleads guilty to murdering mom, cousin
View the top 50
These are the top stories that have been emailed in the past 24 hours.
Home
|
About Tulsa World
|
Advertise With Us
|
Privacy
|
Usage Agreement
|
FAQ and Help
|
Contact Us
|
Today's Headlines
Copyright
© 2010, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
Advanced Search