Faq
What Is Long-Term Care?
Long-term care is a form of assistance that would cater to your personal needs particularly ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) like bathing, eating toileting and the like. It is unfortunate for some people that they can no longer attend to their ADLs due to severe health conditions or old age. This is when the benefit of having a long-term care steps in. It could also come in different forms of services such as adult day care, nursing home care, direct home service and community welfare programs.
Will I Need Long-Term Care Services As I Get Older?
Everyone can avail of long-term care services irregardless of their age. Although most people think that it is only beneficial to older people then you must remember that nobody is immune to accidents, chronic diseases and other serious illnesses. Everyone is prone to accidents and unwanted events that may cause serious injury. That is why it is greatly advisable to avail of long-term care service as soon as you can.
Gender
While both genders need long-term care, the major reason why women need this more than men do. This is because their life expectancy is longer, reaching more than 90 years old or over.
Marital Status
It is quite traditional for women to marry older men. It is no wonder why we often see wives taking care of their husbands when they both grow old since she is still more able. But when the woman becomes a widow who should take care of her? At this time, her kids will also be busy taking care of her grandchildren. But with long-term care service, these women’s welfare are assured and need not be limited to care at home from busy relatives.
Functional Limitations
Men’s health issues usually lead to earlier and quicker deaths mainly due to their physical activity during their prime. On the other hand, women tend to develop chronic diseases more often that aren’t really life threatening but rather limit their physical and even mental abilities. This is the generalization; however, you should also address it differently should your circumstance be different.
Cognitive Impairments
Brought out due to genetics, cognitive impairments caused by certain conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease always lead to a need for a long-term care. These days, more and more people suffer from health conditions out of cognitive impairments which stress the need of a long-term care service for anyone affected by it.
Family Circumstances and Support Systems
Family support systems work differently for each family. Normally, older people are left in the comfort of their own homes once their children move out and start their own families. Even though their children along with their grandchildren visit them once in awhile, they usually resort to neighbors and close friends for their initial support system. Those who do stay with their family find their family members suffer. But with a long-term care service, they wouldn’t have to bother neighbors and friends for their ADLs. Their children would also have to concentrate on their families from now on and not worry of their parents’ welfare.
Where Do People Get Long-Term Care?
Home and Community Care
Most people avail of this type of long-term care service since it does not take them out of their comfort zones considering that they are still staying at their own homes. They are simply provided a nurse or caregiver that would assist to their ADLs in this case.
Nursing Home Care
People who are admitted to a Nursing Home Care for their long-term care are usually people who are suffering or still recovering from an illness or injury. No one really prefers to be in a nursing home for a lifetime, most of them usually avail of the Home and Community Care once they are already free from medication.
What Can I Do To Reduce My Chance Of Needing Long-Term Care?
Deterioration of physical abilities comes with age. It is inevitable that we will be slower, weaker and more susceptible to sickness as we grow old. This is the main reason why we need to have long-term care. But if we take care of our body through proper diet and regular exercise then enjoying a healthy and active lifestyle even with old age could still be possible.
There are however various reasons that let us seek for long-term care assistance which are beyond our control like getting into a tragic accident and genetically-acquired illnesses, then only being responsible for our own actions along with prayers will protect as from such.
