Community Resources for Elders

Introduction

Laguna Honda is popular in not only San Francisco but also all over the globe. People with various health issues who need support and care could get it on the premises of the center. It is situated on the large territory, which provides space for many residents and practitioners. Laguna Honda was chosen for the research because of its popularity and a wide range of facilities for elders. The research was completed via qualitative type using the various types of the data such as the official site of the center on the Internet, the annual report, and the news on the web pages, up to the direct communication with the former team-members and the officials of Laguna Honda that were provided through the email. The aim of the research is to prove the diversification of Laguna Honda and the significant value of the center in the field of rehabilitation centers in the USA.

Description of the Resource

Laguna Honda is situated in the San Francisco Bay Area and it has the premises of the 62-acre campus. The rehabilitation center lies in the heart of the city, and it is under control of its owner, the Francisco Department of Public Health. It is one of largest nursing centers in the United States providing skilled nursing facilities for seniors and adults with disabilities. The center had opened its doors for the first patients in 1866, and they were the representatives of the Gold Rush pioneers. Until now, the Laguna Honda remains an icon of the traditions of caring and nursing in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Laguna Honda aims to provide every person with the sustained support and help in the rehabilitation processes. The center has a great variety of physicians in the major spheres of medicine such as rehabilitation, stroke, traumatic brain injury, HIV/AIDS, mental health, multiple sclerosis, bioethics, and others. One of the peculiarities of the Laguna Honda center is that rehabilitation services are available on the site 24 hours a day. Moreover, all patients of the center receive overall help in the complex clinical problems. Every patient receives the support of a physician at the center who provides a personalized and comprehensive guidance. The major specialists who guide the physical, speech, occupational and vocational programs hold patient rehabilitation in the center. This service helps more than 200 people every year to earn the independent style of living. With the help of the rehabilitation program, every resident has the possibility to move the need in medical support to a lower level and commit to the decent style of living. However, the center also offers the programs for the people with HIV/AIDS and it has the nationally recognized service for those who have Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Those, who have multiple sclerosis, Parkinson, and other degenerative diseases, could also receive the high-quality support in Laguna Honda. People with developmental disabilities have the possibility of the group living during their stay in the center. Moreover, with the help of other practitioners, those who need therapeutic treatment, guidance in psychological difficulties, and restorative care can participate in individual programs. It is also remarkable that Laguna Honda has the pain management and end-of-life care, which provides the residents with the outstanding comfort and emphasized dignity. This current program appeared due to the conjunction of Laguna Honda with the Zen Hospice Project of San Francisco. Therefore, the program gives support to every person who may need it, both well elders and those with disabilities.

The clinicians and support staff of Laguna Honda dedicate themselves to the overall high-quality care for every resident of the center. Every day, they provide comfortable stay for 780 residents. According to the annual report, the center had served 1,290 individual cases of the residents during the 2014-2015 fiscal year. Moreover, 273,643 patients received help and support during that time. As for gender composition of the patients, 59% of male and 41% female individuals received the needed guidance in the center during the 2014-2015 fiscal year. At the same time, 35% Caucasians and 26% Afro-Americans used the programs of Laguna Honda. The rest of the patients were the representatives of all ethnical groups such as Asian (23%), Hispanic (13%), and other groups. Most of the patients are the people older than 45 years old. For example, the group aged 45-64 had 36% of all the residents of the center in 2015. Those of 65-84 years old represented 39% of patients, and the individuals over 85 gained the amount of 18%. However, people younger than 45 also have the possibility to receive support in the case of need.

Those who stay in Laguna Honda are a vital part of the social life of the city of San Francisco. The staff provides the residents with the community integration focused mode that which supports the average style of living for those who have certain disabilities or health problems. The care programs emphasized in the center offer the provision of the independent style of living for every person. The programs give opportunities for recreation and entertainment aimed to help the residents of Laguna Honda to integrate into the social life of the city. There are painting classes, art studio, literature evenings, and tai chi in the Wellness Center of Laguna Honda. These classes are possible thanks to the collaboration with the civic organization such as City College of San Francisco.

It is obvious that the center like Laguna Honda needs donations and support. The funding for the program comes from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. They provide the primary funding sources for the hospital. However, the donations come from many civic organizations and support teams; for example, the FLH fund provides support for the acquisition and maintenance of the equipment used for the creation of the pleasant environment on the premises of the center. Other volunteer programs give support in the entertainment classes for the residents. According to the annual report, in 2014-2015 fiscal year, 96% of the payer services came from the Medi-Cal, 2% of the payment was provided by the Medi-Cal Managed Care, and Medicare gave 1%. It is notable that the staff is always ready to solve the personal case of any level of complication. The center works in accordance with the federal law of nondiscrimination, so everyone who meets general criteria could seek the support in Laguna Honda. The admission to the center is possible for the residents of San Francisco and its county, those who need a primary diagnosis in medical condition, which should not be psychiatric, or those in the need of rehabilitation. However, people who have problems with law or some special cases of health problems could not be granted admission in Laguna Honda. Still, every case is solved personally, and everyone has the chance to come to the center.

Management, Administration, and Personnel

Laguna Honda is the center that aims to help everyone. Like every hospital, it does not have the aim to gain profit but to support those in need. However, it is impossible to call Laguna Honda a non-profit organization, as it receives its profit from the cost of the programs. These facilities earn money that is used for the payment of salaries for the staff and the development of the center. Laguna Honda is a big rehabilitation center that obtains its control from the Francisco Department of Public Health and has no other branches elsewhere. Therefore, it is not the part of a larger chain of rehabilitation centers. The team of the center is diverse because of the great variety of services available. There are many specialists in the narrower fields, trainers, doctors, nurses, and volunteers. According to the statements of the former team members, the staff is a family where everyone is valued and comforted. The 2014-2015 annual report stated that there were 1,040 practitioners working as the staff members in Laguna Honda. However, this figure does not provide information about the volunteers and other staff members who work in the center and provide its overall functioning support.

As the center is big, it provides a wide variety of job titles, starting with the narrow practitioners such as surgeons, optometrists, ophthalmologists, dermatologists, etc., and ending with operational team members like nurses, trainers, and support staff. Therefore, the list of job titles is enormous, and the salary range is diverse. Thus, the Process Technician earns up to $20,000 per year, and the Stationary Engineer earns $75,000 per year. The Chief Medical Officer in Laguna Honda has the possibility to earn about $166,062 per year to $211,952 per year. However, the hourly pay in the center varies from $31 per hour for the Respiratory Care Practitioner to $40 per hour for the Stationary Engineer. It is notable that the job offers in Laguna Honda are rare as everyone in the team values their work in the center.

Analysis

Laguna Honda is situated in the nice area and it provides a wide range of services for those who need support. An individual should not obligatory suffer from any serious disease in order to become a resident of the center. However, it has its doors open for those who have some serious health problems to provide them with an outstanding level of care. Laguna Honda has many benefits such as a wide range of programs and facilities. Despite many medical services, the programs involve people in the social life of the city and provide them with sustainable entertainment. Even those who have problems with communication could solve these problems here. Of course, the center has its disadvantages. However, they are significant only for the young residents who need only rehabilitation. This place is suitable for elders, especially for those with health issues. If somebody asked me about a recommendation, I would definitely name Laguna Honda. While searching the information about it, I have read many materials about other peoples’ attitude towards the center. All of them were sure that Laguna Honda had the most skilled and kindest staff, which is significant for older patients. Therefore, if one day I had to go to the center like this, I would choose Laguna Honda. All the involvement of its residents in the social life and comprehensive support of practitioners would make the stay in the center pleasant and entertaining in every possible way.