Vermont's thinking

It's no secret I like people who think outside the box. If you're not old enough, or choose not to get the AARP bulletin, there was an interesting story this month. It seems the state of Vermont had a bad shortage of health care professionals to do in home care, or nursing home care. They found out also that older Americans wanted to stay in their own homes. Their solution? Choices for Care establishes a less expensive alternative to nursing home care. It pays family members or friends $10 an hour to care for Medicaid-eligible older aldults that want to remain in their homes. State officials have said that during the year the program has been in effect they've been able to contain Medicaid cost while improving the quality of life of older residents and their families.
Gov. Jim Douglas, R, says,"We're downsizing the number of nursing home beds- 156 fewer beds are in use now." For more on the story, and what residents think go to the story.