What is Long Term Care?

Long term care pertains to a variety of care services that are intended to meet the needs of disabled or chronically ill-patients. These care services include social, medical, nursing, and even community services.

Contrary to what most people think, long-term care is not only designed for senior citizens. A person may need long term care due to an illness, disability, fatal injury, etc.  Long-term care can be provided to anybody who needs it. These people are those who need assistance in performing Activities of Daily Living such as dressing, bathing, eating, and many others.

There are basically two types of long term care plans - (1) temporary and (2) on-going. A person requires specific type of long term care depending on his/her health condition.

Temporary long term care (usually lasts for weeks or months only):

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

Ongoing long term care (takes longer than temporary; lasts for months or years)

• Chronic medical conditions, severe pain
• Permanent disabilities
• Alzheimer's disease, dementia
• Continuous assistance with activities of daily living