> What is Long-Term Care?

What is Long-Term Care?

Living with Health Problems

Long-term care is for people who need help with everyday life tasks because of a prolonged health problem or following a major illness or injury. This loss of independence can affect people of all ages.

Long-term care supplements medical treatment. The illness or disability can be physical or mental, temporary or permanent.

Activities of Daily Living

You may need long-term care if you cannot perform at least two of the following six activities of daily living without substantial assistance:

Bathing
Transferring, such as getting in and out of bed
Dressing
Toileting (using the bathroom)
Continence
Eating (ability to feed oneself)

You also may need long-term care if you have a severe cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer's disease, that requires substantial supervision to protect you and others from serious threats to health and safety.

Long-Term Care Services

Long-term care can range from a visit from a home-care aide two or three times a week to full-time care in a nursing home. Services will depend on how much you can take care of your personal needs. Examples include:

Care in a nursing home or hospice facility
Assisted living care
Community-based care
Home health care services
Informal care-giving
Alternative and transitional care

For More Information or to Apply for Benefits

Long Term Care Group, Inc.
P.O. Box 64011
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0011
Toll free: 1-800-761-4057