Long Term Care
Who Needs Long-Term Care?
It is difficult to predict how much or what type of long-term care a person might need. Several things increase the risk of needing long-term care.
Age. The risk generally increases as people get older.
Gender. Women are at higher risk than men, primarily because they often live longer.
Marital status. Single people are more likely than married people to need care from a paid provider.
Lifestyle. Poor diet and exercise habits can increase a person’s risk.
Health and family history. These factors also affect risk.
Home-based long-term care includes health, personal, and support services to help people stay at home and live as independently as possible. Most long-term care is provided either in the home of the person receiving services or at a family member’s home. In-home services may be short-term—for someone who is recovering from an operation, for example—or long-term, for people who need ongoing help.
Most home-based services involve personal care, such as help with bathing, dressing, and taking medications, and supervision to make sure a person is safe. Unpaid family members, partners, friends, and neighbors provide most of this type of care.
