Guide to Long Term Care
WHAT IS LONG-TERM CARE?
Long-term care includes a wide variety of settings and services which are available to meet people’s special needs.
For example, someone recovering from surgery who no longer needs to see a doctor everyday may be discharged to a nursing home to complete the recovery process. A stroke or accident victim can receive nursing care and speech, physical and occupational therapy at a skilled nursing facility before returning home or to a lower level of care. A person who requires assistance with activities of daily living such as dressing and bathing, but doesn’t need 24-hour nursing, may choose a residential care facility or a large assisted living community.
Other options include respite care and adult day health care to ease the burden on family caregivers, special Alzheimer’s programs, services for persons with developmental disabilities, mental health care, and home and community based care.
WHO NEEDS LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES?
Three out of every four Americans over age 65 will need long-term care at some point in their lives.
Seniors are the fastest growing segment of population and the heaviest users of long-term health care services. California has 5.4 million people over the age of 65. This number is expected to increase to more than 6 million by 2020.
More than any other socioeconomic group, women are disproportionately affected by long-term care. The reason behind this lies in the fact that women live longer than men and are more likely to develop the functional ailments that require long-term care services. Fifty eight percent of residents in long-term care facilities are women.
Several other factors contribute to the need for long-term care. Families are geographically scattered. Time, travel expenses and other responsibilities make it nearly impossible to provide the care older family members need. In addition, the primary caregivers in most families are women, and today more women work outside the home.
Although most long-term care services are used by the elderly; young adults, children, and even infants use long-term care services due to chronic illness, disability or accident.