What is long-term care?
Long-term care is the help you need when you`re not able to perform daily activities by yourself such as preparing food, dressing, bathing, managing medications or handling personal paperwork.
Many people learn about long-term care the hard way: when they or a loved one need care, and quickly. Too often, that`s when they discover:
- Long-term care can be expensive
- Medicare doesn`t cover it
- There are many complex issues — finances, insurance, legal matters — that can`t be dealt with properly in a crisis
- Options may be limited if you haven`t planned ahead
Contrary to popular belief, long-term care does not mean a one-way trip to the nursing home. In fact, long-term care today is more likely to be delivered in a variety of settings such as home, adult day centers, and assisted living facilities.
Click here for a list of common long-term care terms and definitions.