Decisions, Decisions: Is Long-Term Care Right for Me?

Decisions, Decisions: Is Long-Term Care Right for Me?

By: Mountain-Pacific Quality Health

November 7, 2022

Planning for the future is essential to healthy aging. One key part of planning is finding a safe home where you can get the care or services you need. According to the National Institute of Aging, long-term care provides multiple services designed to meet a person’s health or personal needs during a short or long period of time.

No one can know if they will need long term-care but learning about the options before long-term care is needed prepares you and your family for what may come, including possible costs.

Long-term care can be provided in the home or in a facility. Home-based care involves providing for an individual’s personal needs such as bathing, dressing, and taking medications. Most older adults receiving care at home lean on family members or friends. Home health aides are also an option, or nursing homes have house workers who can provide full-service care.

Long-term care options include:

• Home health care – Specific, part-time medical services ordered by a doctor.
• Homemaker and personal care services – Can be purchased without doctors’ orders; may include help with meals, bathing, dressing and other chores.
• Friendly visitor and senior companion services – Run by volunteers who often pay short visits to someone who is weak or living alone.
• Senior transportation services – Help people get where they need to go such as doctor visits, group events and other shopping needs.
• Long-term care facilities – Such as assisted living or nursing homes.

Deciding when you or a loved one needs to leave home can be difficult. Talk with your loved ones about who you want to help with decision-making later. Sometimes when having this conversation with a loved one, that person will request to never be put in a long-term care facility. Never make this kind of promise. You could close the door on your loved one receiving the right care, or it is a promise you may have to break. Being supportive and trying to understand their feelings will help the conversation be easier for everyone.

Everyone deserves the care they need as they age. Long-term care can help someone stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible. For more information about long-term care options, visit https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/long-term-care.

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