| When most people think of long-term care, they | | | | However, the patient is close enough to the nursing |
| think of someone in the golden years of their life, but | | | | home facility that someone is readily available to |
| an illness or accident can strike anyone of any age | | | | assist the patient whenever needed, thus the term, |
| and make this a necessary part of their life. It isn't | | | | "assisted living." This allows the patient some type of |
| easy for many people to admit they need help with | | | | independence while giving them the assistance they |
| their every day living, but for some, the simple task | | | | need as well. Many people who become dependent |
| of eating becomes a chore.Another misconception is | | | | on others feel like they are a burden, but with |
| that long-term care means a stay in a nursing home | | | | assisted living, help is there if it's needed, and the |
| or rehabilitation center, but this is not always the | | | | patient is able to do the things for himself that he is |
| case. With the portability of medical equipment today, | | | | able to do.Fortunately, the term long-term care has |
| it is often preferred that patients remain in their own | | | | lost the stigma it used to have for patients, and they |
| home if possible. Insurance companies prefer to pay | | | | are now more receptive to accepting help when it is |
| for full-time home care instead of nursing home care, | | | | needed. This is likely due to the introduction of both |
| feeling that it is more cost effective and beneficial to | | | | the assisted living and the in-home nursing care that |
| the patient's well being.Long-term care doesn't even | | | | allows a patient to remain in the comfort of his home |
| need to mean that the patient cannot do for himself | | | | as long as possible. Even twenty years ago this was |
| or herself. It can mean simply a patient who has an | | | | a "baby" to the medical field, but with the insurance |
| ongoing condition that requires the services of a | | | | companies pushing for less hospital time, and the |
| health care professional on a routine basis for things | | | | patients wanting to hurry home from the hospital to |
| the patient is no longer able to do for him or herself. | | | | tend to other family members, it has become |
| This can mean preparing and planning meals, care of | | | | commonplace. As the generation of middle-aged |
| personal hygiene, dressing, household chores including | | | | citizens enters their senior years, this practice will |
| shopping and paperwork, and any medical needs.In | | | | likely become more common. Long-term care is |
| addition to in-home and nursing home facilities, | | | | changing its face every day.Sandy Sizemore writes |
| another type of long-term care facility is called | | | | on many consumer related topics including health |
| assisted living. In this setting, the patient has his or | | | | care. You can find out what is long term care and |
| her own apartment or quarters where the patient | | | | learn about the cost of nursing homes and more by |
| lives and tends to their needs as much as possible. | | | | visiting our health care website. |