Long term care is the assistance provided when a person is unable to provide for themselves as the result of disability or a prolonged illness. Long term care can mean a caregiver providing personal care at home (such as bathing and dressing), to skilled nursing services in a nursing home.
Although the need for long term care can arise gradually as a person becomes older and daily activities become more difficult, for most a stroke or a heart attack will be the precipitating need. Those with acute illnesses may need nursing home care for a matter of months, while others may need care for years.
A few different types of long term care are:
- Skilled nursing care. This is long term care given by specially-trained, state-licensed nurses or therapists. It’s given either during or just after the severest level of an illness, and is usually required around the clock. Skilled care can be provided in a person's home.
- Intermediate nursing care. This type of long term care is associated with stable conditions that require daily supervision, but not around-the-clock care. It’s supervised by registered nurses and is often needed for many months or years.
- Custodial care. With this care, patients will receive help cleaning, eating, dressing, bathing, and other daily activities that have become to difficult to do on their own. Special training and medical skills are not required; this care is provided by unskilled nursing assistants in nursing homes, day care centers, and at home.
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