Long term
care can be broadly defined as care provided by
another party for the benefit of those who are
unable to care for themselves. Generally, long
term care refers to the personal care and other
related services provided on an extended basis
to people who need help with certain Activities
of Daily Living (ADLs) or who need supervision
due to severe cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's
Disease. Care can be provided at home, in the
community, in an assisted care facility or in
a nursing home.
The need
for long term care can happen in an instant or
gradually as a person's health declines. Some
of the reasons for receiving long term care include:
chronic disease, prolonged illness, injuries sustained
as a result of an accident, disability or cognitive
impairment such as Alzheimer's Disease that limits
a person's ability to think or reason.
Odds of needing
it VIDEO
CLIP - Click Here
We all think we won't need long term care. Yet,
Americans are living longer than ever. The longer
you live, the more likely you may become ill or
have an accident and need some type of long term
care.
In fact,
you may already know of friends or family members
who have needed long term care. A sudden illness
or injury can happen at any age. The odds of entering
a nursing home, and staying for longer periods,
increase with age.
Who
pays for it? VIDEO
CLIP - Click Here
Since the passage of the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996, it is
now clear who is primarily responsible for paying
for long term care: YOU.
Long term care services aren't adequately covered
by most types of insurance, or governmental programs
including Medicare and Medicaid.
-
Most private medical
and major medical insurance plans
do not cover long term care.
-
Medicare
generally covers some nursing home care, but
only for a limited time.
-
Disability insurance
only replaces lost income.
-
Medicaid
pays only for nursing home care after you
have spent most of your assets.
That's why many Americans are looking at long
term care insurance.
What
are the types of care?
A common misperception is that long term care
means staying in a nursing home. Today, there
are other care options available. Long term care
services can be divided into two types of care:
home and community care and facility care.
Here are some examples of
each type of care:
| Home
and Community Care |
Facility
Care |
 |
Home
Health Care |
|
Residential
Care Facilities |
|
Informal (Custodial)
Care |
|
Nursing Homes |
|
Homemaker Services |
|
|
|
Hospice Care |
|
|
|
Adult Day Care |
|
|
