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What is
Long-Term Care?
Long-term
care is a variety of services
that includes medical and non-medical care
to people who have a chronic illness or
disability. Long-term care helps meet health
or personal needs. Most long-term care is to
assist people with support services such as
activities of daily living like dressing,
bathing, and using the bathroom. Long-term
care can be provided at home, in the
community, in assisted living or in nursing
homes. It is important to remember that you
may need long-term care at any age.
You may never
need long-term care. In a given year,
millions of men and women over the age of 65
will need long-term care.. Most will be cared for at home; family
and friends are the sole caregivers for a
majority of the elderly.
Medicare and
Long-Term Care:
While there are a
variety of ways to pay
for long-term care,
it is important to think ahead about how you
will fund the care you get. Generally,
Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term care.
Medicare pays only for medically necessary
skilled nursing facility or home health
care. However, you must meet certain
conditions for Medicare to pay for these
types of care. Most long-term care is to
assist people with support services such as
activities of daily living like dressing,
bathing, and using the bathroom. Custodial care
(non-skilled care) is care that helps you
with activities of daily living. It may also
include care that most people do for
themselves, for example, diabetes
monitoring. Some Medicare Advantage Plans
(formerly Medicare + Choice) may offer
limited skilled nursing facility and home
care (skilled care) coverage if the care is
medically necessary. You may have to pay
some of the costs. For more information
about Medicare Advantage Plans, look at the
Medicare Personal Plan
Finder.
Medicaid and
Long-Term Care:
Medicaid
is a State and Federal Government program
that pays for certain health services and
nursing home care for older people with low
incomes and limited assets. In most states,
Medicaid also pays for some long-term care
services at home and in the community. Who
is eligible and what services are covered
vary from state to state. Most often,
eligibility is based on your income and
personal resources.
Choosing
Long-Term Care:
Choosing
long-term care
is an important decision. Planning for
long-term care requires you to think about
possible future health care needs. It is
important to look at all of your choices.
You will have more control over decisions
and be able to stay independent. It is
important to think about long-term care
before you may need care or before a crisis
occurs. Even if you plan ahead, making
long-term care decisions can be hard.
The following
links provide you with information on
planning for your long-term care:
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Medicare Supplement
