There Are Numerous Options For Those In Need Of Chronic Care

By Cathy Mercer


Long-term health care, also referred to as chronic care, involves a variety of services that include providing assistance to those with disabilities or illnesses of a chronic nature. A person may need only moderate assistance, or he or she may be completely incapacitated. Such circumstances can affect people of all ages, but many individuals who require help of this type are elderly.

Experts predict that approximately 12 million Americans will need long-term assistance by the year 2014. This is why if it appears that a person will need such help in the future, advance planning is vital. Discussing such eventualities with loved ones is always a good idea for any person, particularly those who are elderly. This way, if the individual becomes incapacitated or disabled, his or her wishes can be carried out by family members.

Services of this kind are sometimes necessary even if the person still resides at home. Home health aides, volunteers, or services from both avenues may allow an individual to keep his or her independence longer than if the person had no assistance at all. In other cases, the patient has no alternative but to enter a long-term care facility.

Adult day care is an option for certain individuals with disabilities or diseases that make it dangerous for them to stay at home unsupervised. As its name implies, when one enrolls in adult day care, he or she is supervised throughout the day, but can return to his or her dwelling when other individuals are present to provide assistance when required. Such organizations usually only take a low number of clients at one time, and therefore each individual has an adequate amount of supervision.

Residential facilities or group dwellings are additional alternatives one may wish to consider when living independently is no longer an option. At such establishments, residents are generally given assistance with their daily living activities. Additionally, if the staff includes a qualified nurse, help with medications is also available. 24-hour employees are present at such facilities, so that each resident has the assistance he or she needs.

Assisted living facilities are somewhat similar to the aforementioned option. They provide personal assistance around the clock as well, but it is also offered on a limited basis. Residents must be mobile in order to be admitted into an assisted living establishment.

The most appropriate choice for individuals who cannot live in one of the aforementioned communities safely is a skilled nursing facility. Also referred to as a nursing home, an establishment of this type offers a broad range of medical services, including various treatments and medication administration. Registered nurses are on staff continuously, and those living there are given the option of participating in group activities if their situation allows.

There is a vast array of options in most cases regarding how to pay for such services. For example, a basic medical insurance policy may cover a certain percentage of long-term services. The patient may also qualify for Medicare if he or she has passed a certain age. In some instances, the patient's family pays for such services privately. Anyone who needs chronic care should refrain from making a final decision until all his or her options have been reviewed.




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