Long-Term Care
To fully understand long-term care funding, long-term care insurance, and state partnership programs, which will be discussed in this course, we must first understand long-term care itself. What exactly is meant by long-term care? When is it needed? What services and settings does it include? And how much do these services cost? This chapter lays the groundwork for the remainder of the course by addressing these questions.
Long-term care is a broad range of services provided over a prolonged period, the purpose of which is to minimize or compensate for a person’s loss of physical or mental functioning resulting from an illness, disability, cognitive impairment (such as Alzheimer’s disease), or simply the frailties of old age.
To understand long-term care, it is helpful to understand how it differs from acute care.
Coping with a person’s reduced level of functioning can include medical treatment, skilled nursing care, and various kinds of therapy, but it more typically involves assisting a person with the following:
- Basic functions, such as bathing, dressing, getting in and out of bed, going to the toilet, and eating (called activities of daily living, or ADLs)
- Household chores, such as meal preparation and cleaning
- Life management, such as shopping, money management, and taking medications
- Transportation
Long-term care also often involves the supervision required by a person with a cognitive impairment so that he will not harm himself or others.
Settings and Types of Care
Long-term care can take place in a number of different settings. These include the home of the person receiving care, community-based facilities (such as adult day centers), residential facilities (such as assisted living residences), and nursing homes.
Long-term care is provided by a variety of individuals:
- Skilled care — provided by healthcare professionals such as nurses or therapists
- Personal care — assistance with basic living functions and household chores, provided by nonprofessional personnel, family, and friends
- Supervisory care — the close supervision of a cognitively impaired person to ensure his health and safety, provided by nonprofessional personnel, family, and friends