What is Long-Term Care?

Long-term care is defined as a variety of services that include medical and non-medical care to people who have a chronic illness or disability. Long-term care helps meet health care or personal needs. Most of the time long-term care is to assist people with support services such as activities of daily living like bathing, dressing and using the bathroom. Long-term care can be provided in the home, in a community, in a assisted living community or in a nursing home.

By 2020, 12 million older Americans will need long-term care. Most will be cared for at home. Family and friends make up 70 percent ofthe solecargiversfor those individuals. A study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that people who reach age 65 will likely have a 40 percent chance of entering a nursing home. About 10 percent of the people who enter a nursing home will stay there five years or more.

Source. www.medicare.gov