Long term care means the help you need
when you have a prolonged physical illness, disability, or severe
cognitive impairment (such as Alzheimer’s disease) that keeps you
from living an independent lifestyle. These limitations may prevent
you from carrying out basic self-care tasks such as bathing,
dressing or eating. Use this information to learn more about how to
plan for your long term care needs. |
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Types of Care
- Homemaker Services make it possible for
people to live in their own homes or to return to their homes by
helping them complete household tasks that they can’t manage alone.
Homemaker services aides may clean clients’ houses, cook meals or
run errands.
- Personal and Home Health Aides help the
elderly, disabled, or ill live in their own homes or in residential
care facilities instead of nursing homes. Home health aides may
provide more extensive personal care than can family or friends.
- Adult Day Care centers can offer a
much-needed break to caregivers. These community-based centers care
for adults needing assistance or supervision during the day, but who
do not need round-the-clock care. The centers may provide health
services, therapeutic services and other social activities.
- Assisted Living Facilities are living
arrangements providing personal care and health services for people
who may need assistance with ADLs, but wish to live as independently
as possible and do not need the level of care provided by a nursing
home. Assisted living is not an alternative to a nursing home, but
an intermediate level of long term care.
- Skilled Nursing Facilities offer
residents a higher level of supervision and care than in an assisted
living facility, including personal care, room and board,
supervision, medication, therapies and rehabilitation, and skilled
nursing care 24 hours a day.
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