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Long-Term Care Defined
When disease or injury keeps you from taking
care of yourself over a long period of time, you
may need some form of long-term care (LTC).
Why Would I Ever Need It?
No one can predict if and when you will need
long-term care, or for how long. We do
know that:
- At least 70% of people over age 65 will
require some long-term care 1
- Of those who need long-term care, 40%
are under age 65 1
That is, you may need help as part of the
normal aging process – something we all face -
or you may have a medical crisis, like:
- Stroke
- Alzheimer's disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Vehicle accidents
- Multiple sclerosis
- Diabetes
Any serious injury or illness with
long-lasting effects could keep you from doing
activities of daily living (ADLs):
- Eating
- Taking a bath
- Getting dressed
- Moving in and out of bed
- Grooming
- Using the restroom
That's when long-term care steps in.
What Are The Types of Long-Term Care?
Either in your home or in a facility,
long-term care refers to any kind of support for
daily living on a long-term basis. These types
of long-term care services can occur at any
location – for a person of any age.
In your home care can be delivered by:
- Personal Care Assistants or Companions –
for household tasks like cleaning, cooking,
running errands
- Home Health Aides – for personal care
like bathing and dressing
- Nurses – support IVs, medications, more
complex health issues
In a facility the range of care levels
includes:
- Adult Day Health Care – offers daytime
social and therapeutic activities, while you
still live at home
- Assisted Living – allows you to live
independently with on-site support for daily
basics
Article provided by
Genworth
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