Long term care refers to a variety of services, in addition to medical care, required by persons with chronic health conditions caused by disease or accident. A disease process or an accident may prevent an adult from independently caring for one or more of his or her activities of daily living. These daily needs and functions are vital to living a normal, healthy life. Some activities include:
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Walking
- Transferring from bed to chair and back
- Toilet use
- Eating
- Meal preparation and shopping
- Moving around the community
- Medication administration
- Paying bills
- Managing a household
When any of these functions are difficult or impossible to perform, assistance in varying degrees is necessary. This assistance is traditionally provided by family or friends, mainly at home and mainly by women. As women increasingly take jobs outside of the home, paid professionals and paraprofessionals are called on to share the work.
Long-term care services are also provided in residential facilities such as community residential facilities (also called CRFs or group homes), assisted living residences, and nursing homes.
How do you pay for long-term care services?
Long-term care services are paid for by one or more methods:
- Private resources (income or assets) of the person or his/her family
- Insurance policies which cover long term care
- Public programs such as Medicaid, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Aging
- Medicare for those 65 and older (and some individuals with disabilities) may provide personal care for a limited time if physical, speech, or occupational therapies are required
Get Help – Next Steps
If you or a loved one are in need of long term care services, please contact Iona Senior Services at (202) 895-9448 or info@iona.org to learn more about different services, resources, and options, and get referrals.
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