Patients Face Stigma and Emotional Challenges - Nurses Lack Adequate Support Due to Lack of Time and Resources

New research shows that patients with long-term health conditions face stigma and emotional challenges associated with their health condition. Nurses feel unable to provide adequate support due to a lack of time and resources.

The survey, conducted by Wakefield Research and sponsored by Convatec, included responses from 200 patients or their caregivers and 200 nurses in the United States. Almost everyone surveyed, 99% of patients and their caregivers, said stigma could negatively impact or slow perceived healing.

Stigma Can Affect Healing

The nurses who care for the patient agree that perceived sigma adversely impacts their care recipient. The research showed that 96% of the nurses surveyed agreed that a patient's physical healing can be affected by stigma.

The survey found that 87% of the respondents felt some stigma associated with their or the person in their care's current health condition. Many of the care recipients felt embarrassed to talk about their health problems. Forty-four percent indicated they were embarrassed, and 43% said their health challenge isn't regularly discussed and is rarely represented in the media.

There seems to be many physical, emotional, and social challenges encountered by those with long-term health conditions, such as living with a stoma or wound, managing diabetes, urinary retention, cancer, and more. While accelerated online BSN programs and clinical training prepare nurses for the challenges of caring for older adults, more and more younger people are now presenting with long-term health conditions.

The impact of stigma on patients cannot be understated.

"These survey results demonstrate why emotional and mental health is a societal health priority today. We need to do more, as an industry, to help prevent stigma among these patients – by showcasing stories and experiences of how our patients live confidently, by providing peer-to-peer support, and by making conversations easier between friends, family and care teams," said Karim Bitar, the CEO of Convatec.

Convatec is a global medical products and technologies company that focuses on solutions for the management of chronic conditions. 

Patients and Caregivers Want Information 

Patients and their caregivers almost unanimously (almost 96%) would like more information about the health condition they are dealing with. Over half of the respondents (53%) said they would prefer that information come through conversations with their medical team.

The desire for patients to want more support has increased due to the COVID-19 virus crisis, as health care professionals felt more overwhelmed and strained than ever before.

Nurses Need More Time and Resources

The survey showed that more than 2 in 3 nurses (68%) felt unable to fully support their patients. Almost all (96%) agreed that they need more time, resources, and education to fully care for them.

According to the survey:

• 71% of nurses need more time to spend with their patients
• 56% feel they need more time to be able to devote to learning and education
• 51% feel they are currently lacking the resources they need to share directly with patients to care for them most effectively

Additionally, while most nurses (82%) feel 'completely or mostly comfortable' speaking with their patients about challenges related to their current health conditions, 60% say they are less than completely comfortable. Of those who are less than completely comfortable, 47% say it's because they lack the quality time to do so.

Long-Term Health Care Face Similar Concerns

As those with health problems enter custodial long-term health care, some of the same concerns would seem to apply. Long-term health care providers in facilities and in-home settings face the same lack of time and resources.

The same sigma might also be felt by those in nursing homes, assisted living, and in-home care settings. This could be why many older adults resist getting help or even admit that they need help with daily living activities.   

The delay in receiving the proper care support can make their needs worsen quicker. Most professionals indicate that if an older adult gets appropriate care right away, they can have a better quality of life for a longer period of time. 

Better conversations between medical providers, care recipients, and caregivers will better manage the situation and ensure better care and increased quality of life. 

Significant Financial Considerations

There is a financial consideration in long-term health care, just like health care in general. The larger payor of long-term health care services in the United States is the Medicaid program. The program will pay for long-term care services if the care recipient has little or no income or assets. However, since this is a government program, the funds are limited, and reimbursements to care providers are low. Quality of care is often diminished.

Health insurance and Medicare (including supplements) pay very little for long-term care services. While Long-Term Care Insurance provides ample funding for care, many people fail to obtain coverage. This leaves the caregiving to untrained and unprepared family caregivers or professional care paid from income and assets.

The rising costs of long-term health care services pose a significant financial issue for families. These costs are sharply increasing due to increasing demand, labor shortages, and higher labor costs. While the costs vary depending on where a person lives, all areas of care are going up every year, according to the LTC NEWS Cost of Care Calculator - Cost of Care Calculator - Choose Your State | LTC News.

The pressure on families and finances is a significant concern for families as they deal with long-term care for a loved one. Planning beforehand makes sense, but the best time to obtain Long-Term Care Insurance in when you are in your 40s or 50s. 

The entire health care sector faces financial hardships, but the COVID-19 crisis has made it much worse.

"(The pandemic) is the greatest financial threat in history for hospitals and health systems and is a serious obstacle to keeping the doors open," said Rick Pollack, President, and CEO of the American Hospital Association.

The long-term care and the rest of the health care sector are separated. Long-term health care remains in the hands of families and their personal finances, with only Medicaid for the poor and Long-Term Care Insurance as funding options. 

However, LTC Insurance is medically underwritten, and when many people go to purchase coverage, they cannot do so due to pre-existing poor health issues. It becomes imperative that more people focus on long-term health care as part of their retirement planning before health issues creep up, preventing them from planning.