In 2000, a thesis entitled “High Ground at Risk” was completed and written as part of a requirement for completing a Master’s degree in Christian Thought along with an emphasis in Bio-Ethics. It appears that many of the major concerns (gathered from feedback from long-term care sector leaders) from 1999/2000 listed below continue to not only be relevant today but may even be of heightened concern.
- Ongoing needs to validate and legitimatize not-for-profit status.
- Blurring of distinction between for profits and not for profits.
- No real overall regulation of industry. Piecemeal approach.
- Need for more private funding.
- Ability of industry to absorb rapid rate of change.
- Labor issues and increasing costs of maintaining quality living environment.
- Tendencies to focus on management issues without leadership or vision.
- Impact of baby boomers. High involvement in decision making process.
- Question of whether baby boomers will share from their resources.
- Lots of review of the continuum ahead based on choice, flexibility and options.
- Significant numbers of people without resources.
- Need for a greater emphasis on educating people about long-term care risks.
- Resource allocation issues - increased levels of service demands within some types of fixed budgets.
- Implications of rationed health care.
- Difficulty of going it alone as a stand alone CCRC.
- Increased cultural diversity.
- Concerns about advocacy - who speaks for those most vulnerable.
- Ongoing tension between funding sources - private and public resources.
- Baby boomer generation different mindset than World War II generation.
- Aging healthier and living longer raises significant service and demand issues.
- Staffing issues - ability to recruit and retain people.
- Ability to recruit leadership that identifies with organization’s mission.
- Concern about doing what we say we will do within the marketplace.
Stay tuned for approaches to these ongoing and heightened concerns from a High Ground at Risk distinctive and perspective.