The Network of Long-Term Services and Support
Module 1 - Lesson 1 of 4
Introduction
Long-term services and supports (LTSS) refers to the medical, personal, and social services provided to a person with a chronic illness or disability. It is broader than the term 'long-term care', which to many people just means nursing homes. LTSS includes nursing homes, assisted living facilities, group homes, adult day centers, and private homes. Services and supports are located in cities, suburbs, and rural areas.
Home and community-based services and supports (HCBS) are one part of the LTSS network. HCBS are key to helping individuals with a chronic illness or a disability live with dignity where they wish to live.
Warm Up
How many can you name?
- Take out a sheet of paper.
- List as many home and community-based services as you can.
- When you're finished, check your answers against theTexas HHS website.
Dig In
The Network of Long-Term Care, Services and Supports (LTSS)
Many people receive LTSS: young people with brain injuries or mental illness, adults with developmental disabilities, and older people with dementia. People who receive services may be referred to as patients, as residents, as consumers or clients. More important than a diagnosis is the person's level of function and the supports needed to maintain or move beyond that level of function.
First and foremost, we want to stress that the people we’re talking about are simply people. This may seem obvious or even silly to say. Yet think how often you hear people described by their illness: the schizophrenic, the diabetic, the alcoholic, the Alzheimer's patient or the bipolar. Many people who receive services have been stigmatized because of their illness.
When we need a generic term, we use the phrase ‘people who receive services' to describe all care recipients.
The Landscape of Diversity in Texas
Texas is large and diverse. The workforce includes people who speak languages other than English, who range in age from 16-60+, come from different cultures and races, and have different levels of education and income. People who receive services show the same diversity. The size of Texas and its mix of rural, suburban and urban settings can create unevenness in terms of training, access to the full range of services and available workers.
Quick Facts
- 5,000+ Home health care agencies
- 1,500+ Assisted living communities
- 1,193+ Nursing homes
- Over 2/3 of residents in nursing homes have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementia.
Studies of health care systems show that “more than three of every five patients are already from multicultural backgrounds” -- that is, people with different ethnicities, nationalities, races, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds who have lived in more than one culture.
Salisbury, J. Why Diversity Matters in Health Care, CSA Educational Programs
How to Access Services and Supports
In response to the challenges, the Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) provides millions of Texans with services each year, from medical to mental health to financial and aging services.
Access the services and supports here:
Wrap Up: Lesson one
Home and community-based services (HCBS) are a key part of Texas' long-term care, service, and support network. They serve a diverse population within different socioeconomic and cultural settings.
This diverse population has the same basic needs we all have. The more you know about a person and their culture, the better you can begin to understand a person and their behavior, and provide better care. In the next lesson, you'll see how Texas OASIS HCBS principles help you do just that.