long-term care - Legislative Reference Bureau

LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES
-Tax credits and
exemptions for
caregivers
-Social HMOs
-Life care communities
-Medicare
-Volunteer credits
Figure 3-2 compares the scope of services among four different models of a
continuum of services. The first ("Benjamin") is the only model that targets a specific longterm
care population (AIDS patients). The second ("Pepper Commission") describes the
benefits under a national long-term care proposal. The third ("MHRPC") derives from a state
planning document written by the Maryland Health Resources Planning Commission. The
fourth ("STEPS") lists the services options for an individual's plan of care used by the
Maryland Statewide Evaluation and Planning Services preadmission and annual resident
review coding sheet.
Maryland's Committee on Long-Term Care believes that the long-term care service
continuum should identify the full range of generic services that all long-term care populations
need. The advantages of this approach are that it conceptualizes the broad impact of longterm
care conditions and disabilities, it emphasizes the common needs among all long-term
care populations, and it focuses on the long-term care system rather than discrete services.
In recommending a comprehensive continuum of long-term care services, the Committee did
not require all services to be provided under one organization nor did it expect government to
provide all of it. Furthermore, the Committee recognized that many persons will not require
all services but that with appropriate supports, informal caregivers will continue to be the
mainstay of the system. 29 . Figure 3-3 reflects the recommendations for a continuum of
services made by the Committee.
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