Out of the Shadows - Envisioning a Brighter Future for Long-Term Care in America

This report is based on the growing recognition that loneliness, helplessness, and boredom plague the provision of long-term care in the United States, and that these are symptoms of the isolation that permeates the entire system, from financing to workforce to the continuum of long-term care services. In addition to describing the current state of the problem, the report examines six issue areas facing policymakers: financing and insurance, supporting and educating caregivers, the challenges of changing the physical and organizational environments in which services are delivered, recruiting and retaining a qualified workforce, designing a more effective regulatory control system, and adapting and integrating health information technology to long-term care. The report is the product of an in-depth examination of the literature, statistical analyses of data, and testimony provided to the Commission by outside parties. It is also informed by interviews conducted with 39 individuals, including 14 commissioners and 25 experts.