ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

What is Long Term Care?

Updated on: August 17th, 2022

When you think about “long-term care”, you may think about care in a nursing home. But long- term care includes an ever-changing array of services aimed at helping people compensate for limitations in their ability to live independently. Long-term care should meet your medical needs, as well as your social, financial and housing needs. It can range from assistance with household chores to assistance with activities of daily living to highly skilled medical care.

Long-term care services may be provided in a variety of settings such as the home, community sites (adult day care centers) or nursing homes. The type and setting of long-term care services depend upon your particular needs. Those with physical illnesses or disabilities often need hands-on help with basic activities of daily living (“ADLs”) including bathing, eating, dressing, toileting, continence and transferring. Those who are cognitively impaired usually require supervision or verbal reminders to perform routine activities or to stay out of harm’s way. Skilled care is provided on a doctor’s order by medical personnel such as registered nurses or professional therapists. Although it can be provided in a nursing home, skilled care may be provided in the home by visiting nurses or therapists. Personal care (also known as “custodial care”) is provided to help people perform ADLs but is less intensive than skilled care and does not require the services of a medical professional. Personal care may be provided in many settings, including a person’s home or adult day care center.

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