Home Care Giver Caring For An Elderly Patient
Long term care is the spectrum of services and support that a person may need to meet their needs of personal care. Medical care is sometimes part of long term care, but most long term care consists only of assisting a person with their ADL’s (activities of daily living). These activities include:
- Using the toilet
- Dressing
- Eating
- Bathing
- Transferring (to and from a chair and bed or to another room)
Additional services called IADL’s (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) provided during long-term care are:
- Managing money
- Using the phone, computer, tablet, or other devices
- Caring for pets
- Housework
- Taking medication
- Preparing meals
- Responding to emergency alerts, such as fire and carbon monoxide alarms
Most people think of the elderly or nursing homes when they hear the term “long term care”; however, this is not always the case. It is true that more elderly people need long-term care due to the effects aging. In fact, 70% of people over the age of 65 will likely need some form of long-term care. It is also true, though, that aging is not the only factor that makes long term care necessary. Other factors that determine whether or not you need long term care are:
- Disability – A disability caused by an illness or an accident may cause a person to require long term care;
- Gender – As women tend to live five years longer than men on the average, women are more likely to need long term care;
- Living Arrangement – Those who live alone are likely not to have a significant other to care for them and therefore will likely need long term care; and
- Health Status – Chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes or other long-term illnesses increase the likelihood that you will need long term care. Other factors that increase the possibility are poor exercise and diet, or a family history of chronic conditions.
Medicare is a Social Security funded health insurance program for those 65 years of age or older, or for those under the age of 65 who have certain disabilities, end-stage Renal Disease, or permanent kidney failure that requires a transplant or continuous dialysis. Medicare Part A pays for inpatient hospital and nursing facility stays, hospice care, and respite care. Medicare Part B will cover outpatient care, such as lab tests, physical therapy, doctor visits, and select home health care services. Medicare covers only “medically necessary care”. Under the Medicare guidelines, “acute” conditions that are expected to improve can be covered, such as physical therapy after a fall or a stroke. However, long term care is not considered an “acute” condition by Medicare; therefore, Medicare will not cover a person’s long-term care needs.
Understanding which services are considered “acute”, “chronic”, “medically necessary”, etc. under the law can be difficult to understand. Always consult with your health care provider for assistance in understanding what will and will not be covered by Medicare. For more information regarding specific services and their Medicare eligibility, please see: Long Term Medicare
