Long-term care is the kind of help you require for taking care of your personal needs, such as bathing, dressing, eating, continence, toileting and transferring. These needs are commonly referred to as Activities of Daily Living or ADL's. You might need this kind of help because of a chronic medical or physical condition. frequently, people with Alzheimer's disease or other health conditions may need ongoing supervision as well because of cognitive impairment. People who can no longer drive, manage their medications, or their finances often need help with these "instrumental activities" before they will need to qualify for formal long-term care services. Long-term care covers a broad range of needs and services. Services to meet those needs include care at home or in a community program like adult day care, as well as assisted living or nursing home care.
Will I Need Long-Term Care Services When I Get Older?
Anyone at any age may need long-term care. An accident or a sudden, serious illness can create a need for care, as can the slow progression of chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, or Parkinson's disease. The senior population is increasing and age or frailty may also be contributing factors. People who live to be very old are more likely to need long-term care than those at younger ages.
In addition to age and disability, there are other factors that can affect the need for long-term care:
GENDER
Women are more likely to need long-term care services than men. One reason may be their longer life expectancy; at age 90 and over, women outnumber men by nearly three to one. And as of 2005, 66 percent of nursing home residents were women; 34 percent men.
MARITAL STATUS
Traditionally, women have married men who are older. Since women also live longer, many eventually outlive their husbands. It is not unusual to find an older man being cared for by a younger wife. When a women needs long-term care services, she is often widowed and living alone. a daughter or daughter-in-law often provides care to a family member who lives alone. But frequently a widowed spouse needs more care than family members can provide at home and will eventually need long-term care in a nursing home. According to a 2002 national study , from 1992 to 1998 there was a significant increase in the proportion of women in nursing homes who were widowed, separated or divorced. And married people are half as likely as unmarried persons to be admitted to a nursing home, further illustrating the difficulty of providing continuous care at home to a single or widowed family member.
FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS
Women develop chronic diseases, such as arthritis and osteoporosis, more often than men. These diseases limit the ability to walk, get in and out of a chair, and to do other tasks of daily life. Men are more likely to have acute health episodes that lead to easier and quicker death, and shorten the length of time a man is likely to need long-term care. However, when thinking about long-term care, you should remember that these are generalizations and your situation may be different.
It is estimated that the number of Americans age 65+ who will develop Alzheimer's disease by 2030 will be 7.7 million and 13.2 million by the year 2050.
For more information contact me at (949)275-6233 or visit our website at www.levineadvisors.com
