According to a 2010 AARP survey, nine out of 10 older Americans said they would rather be cared for in their homes than in a nursing home. People with mental and physical disabilities, and those who represent them, also have pushed for community-based long-term care options and the ability to live independently in their homes.

—Christine Vestal, “ACA Spurs State Shift in Long-Term Care”

Under the ACA, new funding strategies are now available to several states to remove existing barriers to providing long-term care in people’s homes and communities. While the provisions for long-term and home health care under the ACA are aimed at improving access of health services, how might these types of expansions affect health care organizations?

1. This week, you evaluate the extension of the ACA for long-term and home health care while exploring potential partnerships for integrated health systems for health care organizations. You examine how these potential partnerships reflect a commitment to the mission and vision of health care organizations and consider how such partnerships may reflect social change.

• Evaluate potential partnerships for integrated health systems
• Analyze potential partnerships in relation to mission and vision of health care organizations
• Analyze how partnerships for integrated health systems reflect social change.

How do quality standards for long-term care and home health care vary in comparison to quality standards for other types of health care organizations?

Many health care organizations are part of a general network or group of health care facilities that may include urgent and acute care centers as well as long-term care or home health care centers. Within the context of health care delivery, the focus usually tends to fall on hospitals and acute care centers. However, with advances in health care organizational structures and strides taken with the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model, most health care organizations are more a reflection of integrated health systems that offer services for urgent, acute care and long-term care and home health care services.

1. For this Discussion, review the quality indicators for long-term and home health care organizations in the resources for this week. Reflect on the measures obtained and how this may relate to your role as a health care executive in promoting effective and efficient health care delivery.
2. Post an explanation of how quality standards for long-term and home health care facilities might differ. Then, explain how you, as a health executive at a hospital, might determine potential partners for an integrated health system that includes long-term care and home health care. Explain how the potential partners may help to reinforce the mission and vision of your health care organization. Then, explain how this type of partnership or integration may be reflective of social change for consumer-driven health care. Be specific and provide examples.