When considering long term care for a friend or relative, you may be interested to know that there are several options available to you in addition to skilled nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Some options are less costly than others, while others allow for the individual to remain in his or her home.
Homemaker Service. This service does not involve any medical or skilled nursing, but rather the completion of basic household tasks such as cleaning, cooking, and running errands. The individuals who perform homemaker services are often called companions or personal care assistants.
Home Health Aid. This service involves more hands-on help with personal hygiene and care such as bathing, dressing, and grooming. Home health aid can be administered to individuals who are elderly, disabled, or ill, and who live either in their own homes or in assisted living facilities (also called residential care facilities in California).
Adult Day Health Care. This service offers a much needed respite for full-time caregivers, allowing them to attend to personal business or maintain their day jobs. Adult day health care provides a supervised and protected community-based environment where participants can receive personal care, health and therapeutic services, transportation services, and partake in social activities. There are three different types of adult day health care models:
Social. This model provides recreational and social activities for individuals. Meals, transportation, and basic care are also provided.
Medical. This model offers medical assistance and monitoring for individuals who are frail or have health issues. Skilled nursing care is provided via a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and may include occupational, physical, and speech therapy.
Combination. This model offers both social and medical services to participants by employing an RN or LPN and by providing activities that are designed to improve cognitive and motor skills.
Assisted Living Facility. This living arrangement provides some personal and medical care, but is actually intended to keep residents as independent as possible. Therefore, an assisted living facility is not intended to be an alternative to a nursing home, but rather an intermediate form of long term care.
Nursing Home. A nursing home is intended for individuals who require constant supervision and skilled nursing care. These could be individuals suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, or physical paralysis. In addition to personal care, a nursing home offers residents medication, physical and speech therapy, and room and board.
For a listing of long term care facility prices by state, please click on the following Long Term Care Tool.
Tags: assisted living, long term care, nursing home, residential care, skilled nursing
