LONG TERM CARE
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California Department of Insurance
Protecting California Consumers
Toll Free 800-927-HELP
What Is Long-Term Care?
Long-term care is the assistance or supervision you may need
when you are not able to do some of the basic “activities
of daily living” (ADLs) like bathing, dressing or moving from
a bed to a chair. You might need assistance with ADLs if you
suffer from an injury like a broken hip, an illness, a stroke
or from advanced age and frailty. Other people may need long-term
care because of mental deterioration, called “cognitive impairment”
that can be caused by Alzheimer’s Disease, other mental illness
or brain disorders. Long-term care is sometimes called “custodial
care” or “personal care”. Formal long-term care (the kind
of care you must pay for) is most often provided by professional
skilled and unskilled workers. Unskilled workers are often
supervised by skilled medical personnel such as registered
nurses. Informal long-term care is frequently provided by
unpaid family members and friends.
Long-term care services can be provided in your own home
or in a community program like an Adult Day Care Center, in
an assisted living facility licensed as a Residential Care
Facility for the Elderly (RCFE), or in a nursing home. Long-term
care is not necessarily “long term.” For instance, about half
of all nursing home stays last 6 months or less. Some people
only need long-term care for a few months, for example, while
recovering at home from a broken hip, while others may need
care for the rest of their life. Will I Need Long-Term Care.
Your personal risk of needing long-term care depends on many
factors. Some of those are whether you are male or female,
how long you live, your health history and whether you have
a spouse or family member who can provide some of the care
you may need. Longevity: The longer you live, the more likely
it is that you will need long-term care. Those who live to
be 95 years old or older are much more likely to have spent
five or more years in a nursing home than those who die in
their mid-70’s. Much less is known about the use of home care
services.
Your Gender
Women are at a much higher risk of needing to pay for
formal long-term care for several reasons. Women not only
have longer life spans, they often out-live their spouses.
When they need long-term care in their older years, there
is often no one to care for them at home and they are more
likely to need institutional care as a result of all these
factors.
Married Or Single
If you have a spouse or other family members who can provide
care you are more likely to be able to remain in your own
home when you need care. If family members are unable to provide
care, and you cannot pay someone to take care of you, then
a nursing home may be the only available option. The condition
that causes you to need care, and the severity of that condition,
may determine whether you can be cared for at home or whether
institutional care is the only option. For instance, a severe
stroke could be so disabling that care at home is impossible,
or an Alzheimer’s patient may need constant supervision.
California Department of Insurance
Protecting California Consumers
Toll Free 800-927-HELP
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