What do we mean by 'long
term care?"
By Carole Massey,
America's Seniors
There seems to be a lot of confusion about what is meant by
"long-term care." To some people, it means a nursing home.
To others, it means assisted living. Yet to others, it means
in-home care. Or, sometimes people think of care in a
skilled nursing facility.
Who is right?
These are all correct definitions of "long-term care." The
trick: When evaluating what type of service or placement is
best for a person, be sure that you understand what their
needs and capabilities are, plus, equally important, what
your expectations are from the facility.
For example, do you expect the person to undergo
rehabilitation that will allow them to return to independent
living? Perhaps you want to have assisted living that will
allow them to retain a degree of independence, but still
have their medical needs met with proper management of
medication and other needs.
Or, the person might require
more intensive care such as is available in a skilled care
facility.
The choice should be made based upon need of the patient for
whom care is being provided, your expectations for that
person, and the ability of the person being placed to
respond to and meet those expectations.
Long-term care is a fact of life today. We live in a mobile
society, people work extra jobs and, quite frankly, more and
more people are living longer.
That's why, if you are faced with a decision regarding
long-term care and you're are the "caregiver", make sure
that you fully understand the facets of the different types
of long-term care and services available.
