Many people mistakenly think long-term care is synonymous with nursing home care. A nursing home is a good example of a facility that provides long-term care services, but it’s just one of the many settings in which long-term care is delivered. In many cases, care is provided in the home often by a visiting nurse or a home health aide. Long-term care services are also provided in places like assisted living facilities and adult day care centers. Because long-term care insurance policies may differ in what they cover, it’s important to be familiar with the different locations where you can receive care. Below we describe the four settings in which most long-term care is delivered.
Home Care
Home care is a simple phrase that encompasses a wide range of health and social services delivered at home to recovering, disabled, chronically ill or terminally ill persons. These services may include medical, nursing, social, or therapeutic treatment, assistance with essential activities of daily living, and even light household needs, such as shopping and cooking.
Generally, home care is appropriate whenever a person prefers to stay at home but needs ongoing care that cannot easily or effectively be provided solely by family and friends. More and more seniors, electing to live independent, non-institutionalized lives, are receiving home care services as their physical capabilities diminish. It’s also a popular choice for younger adults and children coping with chronic conditions or disabilities.
Assisted Living Facilities
Assisted living facilities are residential centers that provide continued care for those who want or need assistance performing certain daily living activities. These facilities, which are growing in popularity, generally offer personal services, 24-hour supervision and assistance, recreational activities, and health-related services. They are designed to minimize the need to move around, and typically provide residents with more privacy and independence than a nursing home setting.
Nursing Homes
Nursing homes are dedicated facilities that provide comprehensive long-term care services. Though they primarily serve the elderly, nursing homes will provide care to people of all ages who are in need of extended long-term care services. The goal of care in a nursing facility is to help individuals meet their daily physical, social, medical, and psychological needs in a controlled setting.
Nursing homes generally provide around-the-clock care and may offer medical, rehabilitative, personal and residential services. But all this care comes at a price: nursing homes currently average $69,000 to $78,000 per year, and that cost can more than double in certain regions. Prices and services often vary by location and facility, so it pays to shop around for the facility that meets your needs and budget.
Adult day care centers are community-based programs designed to meet the needs of functionally or cognitively impaired adults. These structured, comprehensive programs provide a variety of health, social, and other related support services in a protective setting during daytime hours.
Most programs operate during the week, and can be attended full or part-time. Some programs offer services in the evenings and on weekends.
