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Many Options Available in Quality Long-Term Care Facilities Nationwide
By
Michael A. Piekarz
Staff Writer
Many
seniors and their families are often unaware of the numerous quality
long-term care options available to them even though they will probably
require assistance at some point in their life.
“Statistics show that 75 percent of the people over age 65 will require
some type of long-term care before they die,” said Lauren Shaham, Vice
President Member Communications and Media Relations for the American Association
of Homes and Services for the Aging.
Long-term care refers to the services and supports needed when the seniors’ ability
to care for themselves have been reduced by chronic illness, disability or aging,
according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Long-term
care encompasses services that include medical and non-medical care to people
who have a chronic illness or disability.
Long-term care is provided in a number of different settings, including at home
by family and friends, in the community through services such as home health
and adult daycare, or in institutional settings such as nursing homes. Often,
long-term care users will need a combination of these various types of care over
the course of their lifetimes.
Long-term care assists people in meeting health or personal needs and generally
involves support services with activities of daily living like dressing, bathing
and using the bathroom. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community,
in assisted living or in nursing homes.
The expense of long-term care varies greatly, but generally, the greater the
services provided, the greater the cost, especially if medical care is extensive.
The lowest-cost long-term care is provided by community-based services and includes
such things as transportation, personal care, chores, adult daycare and activities
in senior centers. DHHS rates the cost of community-based services as “low
to medium.” Community-based services usually do not include assistance
with daily medical needs.
The “low to high” range of long-term care options includes home healthcare
and in-law apartments. Also falling in the “low to high” cost range
are specialized housing and board and care homes.
Home healthcare is used by DHHS to include visits by friends, family members
or volunteers to provide extra assistance to individuals needing help. The assistance
is part time, and the person being helped usually lives alone most of the time.
In-law housing provides more constant contact between the help and the client.
Usually family members or friends act as caregivers and live on the same property
as a client in separate quarters.
Specialized housing is most often an apartment complex that offers assistance
with meals and other activities like housekeeping, shopping and doing the laundry.
Residents usually live in their own apartments in the complex. Usually a federal
or state agency will review monthly income and expenses to see if clients are
eligible for this type of housing. Rent payments are usually a percentage of
the resident’s income. Medical needs are usually not covered under this
arrangement.
Board and care homes are a group living arrangement that provides help with the
activities of daily living such as eating, bathing and using the bathroom for
people who cannot live on their own but do not need nursing home services. It
is sometimes called a “group home.”
Assisted living facilities fall into DHHS “medium to high” cost range.
Assisted living is a group living arrangement that provides help with the activities
of daily living such as eating, bathing, using the bathroom, taking medicine
and getting to appointments as needed. Residents often live in their own room
or apartment within a building or group of buildings and have some or all of
their meals together.
Social and recreational activities are usually provided at assisted living facilities,
and many have health services onsite. Costs for assisted living facilities can
vary widely depending on the size of the living areas, services provided, type
of help needed and where the building is located. Residents usually pay a monthly
rent and then pay additional fees for the services they receive.
Both Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) and nursing homes are considered “high
cost” by DHHS.
CCRCs have different levels of care based on client needs. The same facility
may have individual homes or apartments for residents who still live on their
own; an assisted living facility for people who need some help with daily care;
and a nursing home for those who require higher levels of care.
CCRC residents usually have the ability to move from one level of care to another
based on their needs, but still stay in the same facility. CCRCs often charge
a large entry fee to move in as well as monthly fees. Sometimes CCRCs also require
that residents use the CCRC nursing home if that level of care becomes necessary.
Nursing homes provide care to people who cannot be cared for at home or in the
community. Services involve personal care and health. Usually this care will
assist people who can’t take care of themselves due to physical, emotional
or mental problems. Some nursing homes are also called convalescent homes because
they provide skilled care after an injury or hospital stay.
This page and its contents ©2008
Metropolitan News Company, Inc.
