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Long-Term Care
CAP Affiliated Insurance Services
January 2000
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Long-term care may possibly be one of the biggest threats to your financial security. During the next few months, we will provide you with pointed information about long-term care, what it is, who is at risk, and the options and costs to protect yourself. We welcome your questions and comments.
WHAT IS LONG-TERM CARE?
Long-term care means many things to many people.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners describes long-term care as “a wide variety of services for people with a prolonged physical illness, disability or cognitive disorder (such as Alzheimer’s disease).” This care is provided in a wide variety of settings in addition to nursing centers. Today, long-term care alternatives include Assisted Living Facilities, Adult Day Care Centers, Homemaker/Home Health Agencies, Respite Agencies and retirement communities.
You may have your own definition, but by whatever definition it is known, long-term care is a reality many of us will have to deal with, some sooner than others.
Long-term care differs from traditional medical care as it is designed to assist a person in maintaining his or her level of functioning, as opposed to care and services that are designed to rehabilitate or correct certain medical problems.
Long-term care services may include, but are not limited to, help with daily activities at home such as bathing and dressing, respite care, home health care, adult day care, and care in a nursing home.
Persons with physical illnesses or disabilities often need hands-on assistance with activities of daily living (ADL’s), the most common of which are bathing, continence, dressing, eating, toileting and transferring. Typically, benefits are payable when a person is unable to perform a certain number of ADL’s, usually two or three of the six.
The delivery mechanisms for long-term care services are changing very rapidly; however skilled care and personal care remain the most common terms used to describe long-term care and the level of care a person may need.
Skilled care is generally needed for medical conditions that require care by skilled medical personnel, such as registered nurses or professional therapists. This care is usually provided 24 hours a day, is ordered by a physician and involves a treatment plan. It is usually provided in a nursing home setting, but may be provided in the patient’s home with the help from visiting nurses or therapists.
Note: Medicare and Medicaid have their own definitions of skilled care.
Personal care, also known as custodial care, helps a person perform activities of daily living. It is less intensive or complicated than skilled care and can be provided in many settings, including nursing homes, adult day care centers or at home.
This article is the first in a series. The next installment will discuss who will need long-term care and the costs involved for long-term care.
Please refer any questions or comments to:
Robert J. Molinaro, CAP Affiliated Insurance Services
(213) 473-8655 or e-mail rmolinaro@cap-mpt.com
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