Moreover, an increasing proportion of elderly Texans will be minority group members. A mounting body of evidence suggests that cultural factors influence the family's role in caring for elderly parents and affect the costs of assistance that Texas seniors will need. For this reason, state policymakers are recognizing how important consumer choice is in determining the cost of services that are delivered in the home and in the community. Most of the programs in the Long-term Care Continuum are Medicaid programs. The Legal Hotline for Older Texans is an example of a service for seniors who do not need long-term care but need help with a specific problem.
Preventive services can help seniors remain independent and plan for their needs.
Texas Medicaid pays nursing homes to care for about 66,000 older Texans each month. We need a lot more education for the general public, through doctors for example. Most of the public only understand nursing homes, but not the rest. People just don't understand what is going on. Seniors also should understand this information before they need services, not after a crisis occurs.