Comprehensive Guide to Long Term Care Planning: Needs, Costs, and Resources

Long-term care is a broad range of services designed to meet an individual's healthcare or personal care needs when they are unable to perform dly activities indepently. provides insights into long-term care planning, service types, costs, and other resources.

Who Needs Long-Term Care?

Many people will require long-term care at some point; however, it can be challenging to predict the type or extent of care needed. The necessity for long-term care can arise suddenly after a heart attack or stroke. Often, long-term care requirements develop gradually as individuals age and become weaker, or due to worsening serious health conditions.

Promoting healthy habits reduces the risk of many diseases, potentially preventing or delaying the need for long-term care. Healthy actions such as balanced nutrition, regular physical exercise, avoiding smoking, moderating alcohol intake, mntning an active social life, creating a safe home environment, and receiving routine healthcare can all contribute to your health and wellbeing. Discussing your medical history with your healthcare provider, including family history, can help identify risk factors for certn conditions requiring long-term care.

Aging in place refers to staying in one's own home as they grow older. This requires careful consideration and planning since living indepently may become unsafe or uncomfortable over time. It's crucial to be realistic about when it might no longer be appropriate to stay alone, revisiting the decision as your needs change gradually.

Preferencing to remn in their homes is a common preference among most people. Aging in place involves careful consideration and planning because mntning indepence as one gets older often necessitates thoughtful action. But living indepently grows more challenging over time as age advances, requiring reevaluation of preferences.

Planning for long-term care becomes essential sooner for individuals with conditions like Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia due to the accelerated decline in cognitive abilities which can limit mobility and decision-making capacity.

Discussing the option to move into residential settings when living alone is not feasible or safe is often an emotional and challenging process. Some opt to relocate from their homes because they no longer manage household responsibilities efficiently, while others may prefer to stay but find it necessary for additional assistance and hands-on care.

A conversation should start by exploring avlable housing options together to make informed decisions. Some families utilize meetings or conference calls as a method of discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each option collaboratively. The goal is to find an arrangement that benefits all parties, especially the older person involved.

If relocation becomes necessary, there are resources to assist with transitioning smoothly. This may include counseling services, guidance from healthcare professionals, recommations from local senior centers or Area Agencies on Aging.

The Costs of Long-Term Care

Long-term care can be financially burdensome. People pay for care based on their financial status, eligibility for government assistance programs, and the type of service required. Common sources of funding include:

Personal resources like savings, pension funds, investment income, or proceeds from selling a home.

Federal and state government programs including Medicare, Medicd, and Department of Veterans Affrs VA benefits.

Explore further information about paying for long-term care through various avlable options.

For more detls on long-term care services,

Eldercare Locator

800-677-1116

[email protected]

https:eldercare.acl.gov

LongTermCare.gov

202-619-0724

[email protected]

https:acl.govltc

USAging

202-872-0888

[email protected]

www.usaging.org

The content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Aging NIA. NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it's accurate and up-to-date.

Last Reviewed: October 12, 2023
This article is reproduced from: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/long-term-care/what-long-term-care

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