Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical need of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods of time.

It is common for long-term care to provide custodial and non-skilled care, such as assisting with normal daily tasks like dressing, bathing, and using the bathroom. Long-term care may also include medical care that most people do for themselves, such as diabetes monitoring. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, in assisted living or in nursing homes. It is something that does not go far on the American dollar. Long-term care may be need by people of any age, even though it is a common need for senior citizens.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimate that about nine million men and women over the age of 65 in the US will need long-term care in 2006. By 2020, 12 million older Americans will need long-term care. It is anticipated that most will be cared for at home; family and friends are the sole caregivers for 70 percent of the elderly. A study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that people who reach age 65 will likely have a 40 percent chance of entering a nursing home. About 10 percent of the people who enter a nursing home will stay there five years or more.

Long-Term Care in an example is when a person requires someone else to help him with his physical or emotional needs over an extended period of time, this is long-term care. This help may be required for many of the activities or needs that healthy, active people take for granted and may include such things as:

  • Walking
  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Headboards
  • Using the bathroom
  • Helping with incontinence
  • Managing Pain
  • Preventing unsafe behavior
  • Preventing wandering
  • Providing comfort and assurance
  • Providing physical or occupational therapy
  • Attending to medical needs
  • Counseling
  • Feeding
  • Answering the phone
  • Meeting doctors' appointments
  • Providing meals
  • Maintaining the household
  • Shopping and running errands
  • Providing transportation
  • Administering medications
  • Managing money
  • Paying bills
  • Nutrition Facts
  • Doing the laundry
  • Attending to personal hygiene
  • Helping with personal grooming
  • Writing letters or notes
  • Making repairs to the home
  • Maintaining a yard
  • Motor Scooters
  • Removing snow

The need for long-term care help might be due to a terminal condition, disability, illness, injury or the infirmity of old age. Estimates by experts are that at least 60% of all individuals will need extended help in one or more of the areas above during their lifetime. It would be like walking up to the arreat summit The need for long-term care may only last for a few weeks or months or it may go on for years. It all depends on the underlying reasons for needing care.

Temporary long term care (need for care for only weeks or months)

  • Rehabilitation from a hospital stay
  • Recovery from illness
  • Recovery from injury
  • Recovery from surgery
  • Terminal medical condition

Ongoing long term care (need for care for many months or years)

  • Chronic medical conditions
  • Chronic severe pain
  • Permanent disabilities
  • Dementia
  • Ongoing need for help with activities of daily living
  • Need for supervision

Long-term care services may be provided in any of the following settings:

  • In the home of the recipient
  • In the home of a family member or friend of the recipient
  • At an adult day services location
  • In an assisted living facility or board-and-care home
  • In a hospice facility
  • In a nursing home

Medicare

Generally, Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term care. Medicare pays only for medically necessary skilled nursing facility or home health care. However, certain conditions must be met for Medicare to pay for even those types of care. Medicare specifically will not pay for custodial and non-skilled care.

Medicaid

Medicaid is a government program that will pay for certain health services and nursing home care for older people. In most states, Medicaid also pays for some long-term care services at home and in the community. Eligibility and covered services vary from state to state. Most often, eligibility is based on income and personal resources. Univision has had some great shows regarding Medicaid and the latino community. Verizon Wireless has helped by offering special rates to seniors in certain US cities.