What Is Long-Term Care?

What Is Long-Term Care?
A wide range of services are included in long-term care and are intended to address a person's health or personal care needs over a short or long period of time. When a person is unable to carry out daily tasks alone anymore, these services help them live as freely and safely as they can.

Depending on a person's needs, different caregivers provide long-term care in various locations. The majority of long-term care is given by unpaid family members and friends at home. It may also be delivered in a setting like a nursing home or out in the public, such an adult daycare facility.

Personal care, often known as "activities of daily living," is the most typical form of long-term care. This sort of care involves assistance with daily tasks. These activities include taking a shower, getting dressed, grooming oneself, using the restroom, eating, and moving around—such as getting out of bed and sitting down.

Community services including meals, adult day care, and transportation are also a part of long-term care. These services could be offered gratis or at a cost.

When a person has a serious, enduring health condition or handicap, long-term care is frequently required. Long-term care may become necessary quickly, such as following a heart attack or stroke. But most frequently, it comes on gradually as individuals age and become more feeble, or as a disease or handicap worsens.

Who Needs Long-Term Care?
It is difficult to predict how much or what type of long-term care a person might need. Several things increase the risk of needing long-term care.

• Age. The risk generally increases as people get older.
• Gender. Women are at higher risk than men, primarily because they often live longer.
• Marital status. Single people are more likely than married people to need care from a paid provider.
• Lifestyle. Poor diet and exercise habits can increase a person's risk.
• Health and family history. These factors also affect risk.

What Are the Different Types of Home-Based Long-Term Care Services?
To assist people in remaining at home and maintaining as much independence as possible, home-based long-term care involves health, personal, and support services. The majority of long-term care is given either in the client's home or the home of a family member. In-home care can be provided long-term for those who require constant assistance or short-term for those who need it temporarily, such as those recovering from surgery.

Most home-based services involve personal care, such as help with bathing, dressing, and taking medications, and supervision to make sure a person is safe. Unpaid family members, partners, friends, and neighbors provide most of this type of care.

Paid caregivers, including informal caregivers and healthcare professionals recruited through home health care organizations like nurses, home health aides, therapists, and homemakers, can also offer home-based long-term care services. Home health care, homemaker services, amiable visitor/companion services, and emergency response systems are some of these services.

Home Health Care
Part-time medical services are provided in the home under the auspices of a physician. In order to aid a person in recovering after surgery, an accident, or illness, these services could include nursing care. Along with temporary home health aide services, home health care may also involve physical, occupational, or speech therapy. Medicare, a federal insurance program for those over 65, has approved home health care providers to offer these services.

Homemaker and Personal Care Services
Home health agencies provide personal care and housekeeping services that can be ordered without a doctor's prescription. Assistance with food preparation and housework are included in homemaker services. Assistance with dressing and bathing is considered personal care. These services can be offered by organizations without Medicare's approval.

Friendly Visitor and Senior Companion Services
Friendly visitor/companion services are usually staffed by volunteers who regularly pay short visits (less than 2 hours) to someone who is frail or living alone. You can also purchase these services from home health agencies.

Senior Transportation Services
People can use transportation services to get to and from doctor's appointments, stores, and other community locations. Community organizations and several senior living complexes provide transportation services. Services for disabled passengers are offered by numerous public transportation companies. There are several free services. Others want payment.

Emergency Medical Alert Systems
Through electronic monitoring, emergency response systems automatically respond to medical and other situations. A button on the user's necklace or bracelet can be pressed in an emergency. By pressing the button, emergency assistance is sent to the house. Those who live alone or are at risk of falling will find this kind of service to be extremely helpful. There is a monthly price.