The first step to caring for a loved one is recognizing that they need care. Sometimes this can sneak up on you slowly or it can happen overnight. At least 70% of the people in this country will eventually watch the progression of aging and a growing list of impairments take over a loved one.
Many family members will become caregivers without even realizing that is what they have become. Some won’t recognize that what seem to be the normal symptoms of aging are actually becoming far more serious conditions. Others are just not willing to admit that their ability to care for themselves is waning and the need for long term care is nearing on the horizon. Once a family reaches the point where they know it is no longer safe for a loved one to live on their own, or even to move in with other family members, it is time to start learning about the three primary forms of Long Term Care.
Top Three Forms of Long Term Care
1) Home Care comes in a number of forms both medical and non-medical. Non-Medical services consisting of things like light housekeeping, transportation, meals, toileting, medications, and assistance with other activities of daily living (ADL’s). Medical services from licensed professionals includes such services as wound care, oxygen and ventilators, palliative care, monitoring vitals, and pain care. Non-Medical services provided at home by non-licensed workers are more common, and are considered “private pay”. Because medical services are provided by licensed medical professionals they can be covered by Medicare and Medicaid for people who qualify.
2) Assisted Living is sometimes looked at as the half-way point between Home Care and Nursing Home Care. If a person is not able to remain in a home based environment, but is not yet sick or impaired enough to be admitted into a Nursing Home, then an Assisted Living Community may provide the ideal mix of care and residence. Assisted Living is often designed to be a comfortable and high-end setting with a large assortment of activities, diverse dining and residential choices. Memory Care services can also be found in specific wings established in an Assisted Living Community. Assisted Living is almost always “private pay” and most communities can help families sort through a variety of funding options like the VA Benefit, converting a life insurance policy into a Long Term Care Benefit Plan, or home and credit-line loan options.
3) Nursing Homes are a specific type of licensed, “skilled care” medical facility providing custodial care for people suffering from chronic, debilitating conditions. Memory Care and Hospice services can also be provided in a Nursing Home. Medicare will cover the first 100 days of rehabilitation care upon direct discharge from a hospital. Medicaid will cover long term stays if a person qualifies both financially (below allowable asset and income levels) and meets the definitions of “medical necessity”.
There are many misconceptions about long term care. The more people understand about the different care options and how to pay for it the better they will be able to help themselves, or a loved one.