Very interesting idea about a different kind of nursing home.
 

Could the Pandemic Transform Nursing Homes? | Next Avenue

This is quite an different approach to nursing home care.

Very confusing. Assisted living and memory care facilities are not nursing homes. Most people who live in nursing homes are on Medicaid (almost 90 percent in the facilities I have visited). That is because, even if they had money when they went in, they have gone broke. The Government pays for most of the cost for nursing homes, and the facilities are only interested in meeting the minimum Government standards. So, they are usually not interested in making the residents comfortable, just making money. I don't see where this organization fits in to the Government nursing home system without a complete overhaul.

I'm not sure of the funding for this Mustard Seed Project but this type of service has been available nationwide for decades under the Title XIX (federal funding). The names have changed over the years but the services in essence haven't. The one specifically for elderly people used to be called the E.W. (Elderly Waiver), one of several federal Waivers designed to supply enhanced services to people who qualify, enabling them to receive what is essentially a residential facility - level of care while living in their own homes or apartments. See the following:

SMMC LTC is designed to provide home and community-based services to Medicaid recipients who are 65 years of age or older, or age 18 or older and eligible for Medicaid by reason of a disability; and determined to require nursing facility level of care. Created by Florida Legislature in 2011, SMMC LTC is a way to receive long-term care services, including nursing home and in-home care services, in a managed care setting. Managed care is a term for the process of how health care organizations manage the way their enrollees receive health care services. Managed care organizations work with different health care providers to offer quality health care services to ensure enrollees have access to the health care providers they need. "

The rules of the game may have changed somewhat from when I was playing it, but in general they probably still work like this. Getting such services is not a slam-dunk. First you have to be screened as eligible for the service (usually done through a public-health nursing service) which may include psychological testing, a physical exam, etc. as well as being financially eligible (meaning qualifying for Medicaid). That done, people's names are placed on a waiting list, which is not ranked by date of application but by level of need. If one is awarded a waiver slot, then various medicaid services (community support, in-home help, etc. etc.) become available.

Sounds like an Income driven program provided by taxpayers for those who don’t have the money for such care. I’m thankful that there is a program like this for those in need. The question is could a similar program be in place for all seniors when and if it was needed. Sounds costly for sure but perhaps those with higher incomes could pay additional dollars for similar services if a program was available. With an aging population in this country, I’m sure new ideas and ways to deliver needed services for seniors are on the drawing board.