At its simplest, the long-term care definition includes around-the-clock support for managing everyday tasks and health needs over time. Long-term care means assistance with transportation and personal care — for instance, dressing, bathing, and eating — plus medical care, such as administering medications and regularly dressing wounds. The goal is to empower the individual to live with comfort, dignity, and as much independence as possible.
According to studies, someone turning 65 has a nearly 70% chance of needing long-term care services during their lifetime. If you’re helping an aging parent, you may notice small but meaningful changes in their quality of daily life. It’s natural to wonder, “What is long-term care, and does my mom or dad need it?”
What is long-term care, and what does it include?
Many mistakenly assume that long-term care is only focused on meeting medical needs. Although medical care can be part of the package, support for practical, everyday needs is a significant portion of the services provided.
Consider the tasks your parent has handled alone for decades, such as brushing their hair in the morning, cooking breakfast, walking safely around the house, and driving to a doctor’s appointment. When these become difficult, extra support makes a meaningful difference in your parent’s day-to-day routines and their long-term well-being.
Long-term care services include assistance with:
- Activities of daily living, such as taking a bath, dressing, walking, getting in and out of bed, and more
- Meal preparation and support for healthy eating
- Medication reminders or medication administration
- Light housekeeping and laundry
- Transportation to appointments and social opportunities
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Practical support for memory-related changes
- Skilled nursing care for ongoing medical needs
If you’re wondering about long-term care because you’re seeing changes in your parent’s quality of life, trust your instincts. Sometimes, long-term care is necessary after a major event, such as a fall or surgery, but just as often, the need grows slowly over time.
Who needs long-term care, and how do I know when it’s time?
If you’re like many adult children providing care for an aging parent, you may struggle with when to step in and offer assistance. You want to respect your parent’s boundaries and independence, but you also want their quality of life to remain high.
You might consider long-term care if you notice your loved one showing any of the following signs:
- Skipping meals or struggling with cooking tasks
- Changes to personal hygiene or housekeeping due to difficulties with bathing, dressing, cleaning, and so on
- Frequent falls or unsteadiness on their feet
- Confusion about medication purpose, timing, or doses
- Memory lapses that go beyond simple forgetfulness and begin to affect their safety
- Withdrawal from social activities they once enjoyed
- New or ongoing health conditions that require close daily monitoring
Where is long-term care provided?
Long-term care doesn’t just happen in a single location; it’s available in a variety of places, each designed to support different levels of care needs.
At-Home Care for Customizable Amounts of Daily or Weekly Support
For many families, the first step in long-term care involves bringing support into the home. This allows your parent to stay in familiar surroundings while receiving the help they need with daily tasks, including:
- Personal care
- Meal preparation
- Light housekeeping
- Medication reminders or management
- Visiting nurses or therapists for prescribed care
At-home care can be an ideal choice, especially if your parent only needs assistance for a few hours each day or week.
Adult Day Services for Workweek Engagement and Support
Adult day services include a structured program of support for adults in a community-based setting during business hours, up to five days per week. This option offers social opportunities and assistance for older adults while providing flexibility for family caregivers who need to balance caregiving obligations and other responsibilities, such as work or kids.
In general, adult day services fall into three types of care:
- Social. Provides recreation, food, and some care-related assistance
- Medical or health. Provides social events in addition to more detailed health and intensive therapeutic services
- Specialized. Serves only people who need specific types of care, such as those with dementia
Assisted Living for Comprehensive Daily Support
Senior living communities provide a variety of lifestyle options, and assisted living is a choice to consider when your parent’s need for daily support becomes more consistent. This type of senior living provides around-the-clock access to trained care while empowering them to live with independence and peace of mind.
Assisted living typically includes:
- Private living options, including apartments
- Hands-on assistance with daily routines when the resident wants or needs it
- A variety of fresh, healthy eating options offered daily
- Housekeeping and laundry services
- Easy access to social opportunities via a dynamic social calendar filled with optional programs and events
- Medication assistance
Some senior living communities are also known as continuing care communities, which means they provide a variety of care options in one location. If your loved one’s care needs change — whether they need short-term help recovering from surgery or support for cognitive changes in memory care — they can remain in the same community while enjoying a different level of caregiving.
Long-Term Care Communities for Specialized Around-the-Clock Support
Long-term care, also called skilled nursing, is a type of care provided in a clinical setting or senior living community, but it’s different from assisted living. While assisted living supports those who need a hand with various daily tasks, such as eating or dressing, long-term care is for those who require 24/7 nursing care because of a chronic condition or medical need.
Long-term care is also different from short-term rehabilitation, which focuses on providing temporary care during recovery after a surgery, accident, injury, illness, or stroke. Short-term rehabilitation provides a bridge, helping the person transition from the hospital back to their home. Long-term care typically provides many of the amenities available in assisted living, plus:
- Around-the-clock nursing care
- Personalized care plans
- Therapy and rehabilitation
- Medication management
How much does long-term care cost?
No single definitive answer exists because the cost of long-term care varies widely depending on a variety of factors. However, the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) Cost of Care Survey provides a few national averages as a general reference point:
- At-home care: $33 per hour
- Assisted living: $5,511 per month
- Specialized long-term care: $112,420 per year
Your cost for long-term care will depend on specific circumstances and needs, so it may be higher or lower than the national average. Factors that affect individual pricing include:
- The type of care. Long-term care that provides light housekeeping or transportation will generally cost less than medically specialized services.
- The amount of care. Around-the-clock caregiving will naturally be more expensive than occasional services.
- The local cost of living. In an expensive area, such as New York City or Hawaii, long-term care costs more than in a location with a lower cost of living, such as Illinois. For information more specific to your location, consult the FLTCIP Cost of Care Tool.
- Types of amenities and perks. Communities and at-home services that provide extensive amenities — on-site fitness centers, multiple dining venues, concierge services, an extensive social calendar, and so on — alongside their care options may cost more than communities with fewer enrichment opportunities.
Is long-term care insurance (LTCI) worth it?
The honest answer to whether long-term care insurance (LTCI) is worth it is sometimes yes and sometimes no — everything depends on timing, finances, and health history.
Generally, private health insurance doesn’t cover the costs of long-term care, and Medicare coverage is limited or nonexistent. LTCI is an optional form of insurance that can cover supplementary support and care services when you need them. You can purchase LTCI as a stand-alone policy or a rider on a life insurance policy.
Although LTCI may sound tempting, it isn’t always a perfect solution.
Benefits of LTCI
Purchasing LTCI can create peace of mind and a sense of predictability for your budget by planning for what-ifs down the road. As part of a comprehensive retirement strategy — including your retirement savings, health savings accounts, and life insurance — it may provide financial flexibility to cover costs when the need for long-term care arises.
Limitations of LTCI
LTCI policies can be rigid, and it may be difficult to secure coverage for long-term care if certain strict criteria aren’t met. They may also include prohibited provisions that lead to denial of care, such as preexisting conditions or care in certain settings (e.g., unlicensed communities).
Long-Term Care Insurance Alternatives
Families looking for alternatives to LTCI often end up employing a variety of the following to cover long-term care costs:
- Home equity
- Savings and investments
- Life insurance with living benefits
- Annuities
- A continuing care at-home program, such as WellAhead — A WesleyLife Well-Being Experience
As part of these planning and insurance conversations, consult a financial advisor to gain a complete picture of your family’s options before making a decision.
FAQs: What else do I need to know about long-term care?
What is the definition of long-term care?
Long-term care refers to services that support individuals who want or need help with daily activities or ongoing medical care over an extended period of time. These services, from housekeeping and transportation to medication management and more, help older adults remain safe, comfortable, and supported as their needs evolve.
Is long-term care only for older adults?
No. Although older adults commonly make use of long-term care services, people of any age may need long-term care due to a disability, illness, or injury.
When should I buy long-term care insurance?
For the best rates and eligibility options, begin considering LTCI in your 50s or even earlier. Buying sooner can improve eligibility and lower costs, but the timing depends on your overall health and financial goals.
Take the next step in understanding long-term care and more.
Whether you’re just beginning to explore long-term care or you’re already close to making a decision with your aging parent, know that asking questions now is a powerful act of support. Learning about what’s available before a crisis or change in overall health can give everyone involved confidence, clarity, and peace of mind.
If you’re ready to learn more about supportive environments designed to meet the changing needs of older adults, WesleyLife is ready with answers.
