Marlene S. Stum

Financing Long-Term Care: Examining Decision Outcomes and Systemic Influences from the Perspective of Family Members

This study examined financing long-term care from a micro-level family perspective. Qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with 45 families coping with paying for an elders long-term care provided insight into what decisions were made as well as what factors influenced those decisions. Family members articulate systemic factors within and outside of the family system influencing three decision making outcomes: (a) using and preserving private resources, (b) Medicaid estate planning and (c) deciding not to decide. Case examples and a discussion of the emerging framework provide insight for researchers working to inform long-term care issues and for educational focused practitioners.

Families and Inheritance Decisions: Examining Non-Titled Property Transfers

This study examines the transfer of personal possessions, which is a dimension of inheritance decision making from which few families are exempt but which largely has been ignored by researchers and educators. The qualitative analysis of a purposeful sample of individual family members who had experienced a transfer of non-titled personal possessions suggested the influence of six key themes. These included: (a) a sensitivity of the issue, (b) lack of goal discussion, (c) different perceptions of “fairness,” (d) different meanings of objects, (e) lack of awareness of distribution options and consequences, and (f) potential for conflict. The themes identified reinforced that inheritance is not simply an economic or legal issue but one with complex emotional and family relationship dimensions. The findings provide the foundation for further research agendas and for developing educational resources to help family members communicate about and make more informed decisions regarding the transfer of non-titled property.

Economic Security and Financial Management Issues Facing Same-Sex Couples

Same-sex couples experience economic rights and responsibilities in a context that differs from that of married couples. Financial management and economic security issues facing same-sex couples have received little attention to date. These issues are examined in this article within changing legal and social conditions. Family professionals should be knowledgeable about the context and scope of these important issues facing same-sex couples to be able to educate their constituent groups appropriately, deal with clients in therapy, and inform and influence policy makers.

Group Long-Term Care Insurance: Decision-Making Factors and Implications for Financing Long-Term Care

ABSTRACT This study proposes and tests a systemic family decisionmaking framework to understand group long-term care insurance (LTCI) enrollment decisions. A random sample of public employees who were offered group LTCI as a workplace benefit were examined. Findings reveal very good predictive efficacy for the overall conceptual framework with a pseudo R2 value of .687, and reinforced the contributions of factors within the family system. Enrollees were more likely to have discussed the decision with others, used information sources, and had prior experience when compared to non-enrollees. Perceived health status, financial knowledge, attitudes regarding the role of private insurance, risk taking, and coverage features were additional factors related to enrollment decisions. The findings help to inform policymakers about the potential of LTCI as one strategy for financing long-term care.

Knowledge of Aging of Subsidized Housing Managers for the Elderly: Implications for Training.

This study investigated knowledge of aging as one indicator of how prepared managers of housing are to handle aging‐in‐place elderly. Managers of subsidized housing for the elderly in Wisconsin (N 160) were surveyed on their knowledge and assumptions about aging using Palmores Facts on Aging Quiz (1977). Differences in managers’ knowledge of aging as influenced by characteristics of managers and the environments in which they function were also examined. Although not particularly high (62.8% mean correct), housing managers’ knowledge of aging appears to be similar to that of other service provider groups when comparing scores on the Facts on Aging Quiz. Although managers did not hold one of the six misconceptions consistently found in other studies, they added four other misconceptions. These misconceptions can be the focus for needed training content. The examination of differences in knowledge of aging levels provided support that training in aging and experience are positively related to increased kno...

Economic Well-Being of the Chronically Disabled Elderly: Practice and Policy Implications

The 1982 Long-Term Care Survey (N = 5,670) was used to gain an understanding of predisposing, need, and enabling variables that influence the economic well-being of disabled elderly. Stepwise regression results suggest that a combination of enabling and predisposing factors best explained differences in economic well-being. Implications of the findings for practitioners are discussed within the context of practice and policy for the disabled elderly.