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| Choosing Long-Term Care |
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 Choosing long-term care is an important decision. Planning for long-term care requires you to think about possible future health care needs. In This Article: Introduction To Long-Term Care Things To Consider When Choosing Long-Term Care It is important to look at all of your choices. You will have more control over decisions and be able to stay independent. It is important to think about long-term care before you may need care or before a crisis occurs. Even if you plan ahead, making long-term care decisions can be hard. Long-term care is made up of many different services and may include help with activities of daily living like dressing, bathing, eating, and using the bathroom, as well as help with care most people do themselves like taking medications. Long-term care can take place at home, in senior centers, at community centers, in special retirement or assisted living facilities, or in nursing homes. Someone with a long-term physical illness, a disability, or a memory or thought problem (such as Alzheimer's disease) often needs long-term care. In addition, it is very important to talk with your family about the kind of long-term care services you think you might need someday, how much they would cost, and how you would pay for them. The best time to talk about long-term care is before you need services. Here are important things to consider when choosing long-term care: Assess Your Needs Research Financing and Care Choices Find What Is Right For You Visit Your Available Options Step 1: Assess Your Needs There are many different kinds of long-term care. Long-term care can take place at home, in senior centers, at community centers, in assisted living or special retirement communities, as well as in nursing homes. Long-term care service is not only nursing home care. The chart below lists some of the many kinds of custodial care people often need, like help with activities of daily living or care most people do themselves. Think about whether you or your aging relative, need these services now, or if you may need them in the future. Check off the services you think you may need. You may need help with only one or two types of activities of daily living, like help with eating or bathing. Or, you may need help with many activities of daily living or help with care needs, like diabetes monitoring or help with oxygen if you have breathing problems. Also, your needs may change over time. It is important to make a list of the kinds of services you need and revise this list as your needs change. Will I need help with the following activities of daily living? ___ Bathing ___ Dressing ___ Eating ___ Using the bathroom, including caring for a catheter or colostomy bag if needed. ___ Moving into or out of a bed, chair, or wheelchair. ___ Preparing meals ___ Shopping ___ Housework and laundry ___ Getting to appointments ___ Paying bills and other money matters ___ Home maintenance and repairs ___ Using the telephone ___ Others: ________________________ Will I need help with the following care? ___ Remembering to take medicines ___ Diabetes monitoring ___ Using eye drops ___ Getting oxygen ___ Taking care of colostomy or bladder catheters ___ Others: _______________________ Step 2: Research Financing and Care Choices There are many types of long-term care and living choices for older people. Long-term care is not only nursing home care. Here are some ways to learn what long-term care choices are available in your area:
Step 3: Find What Is Right For You Quality care means doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way for the right person and producing the best possible results. The Medicare program regulates and enforces rules to ensure that nursing homes, home health agencies, and hospitals comply with federal standards for patient health and safety and quality of care. However, the quality of long-term care programs, services, and facilities may vary. Here are some ways to learn about how long-term care programs and services in your area rate in quality:
Step 4: Visit Your Available Options Before you make a final decision about long-term care, call and ask for information about the program or facility. Visit the places you are interested in. These places can be assisted living communities, services in senior centers, housing programs, nursing homes, and other programs. Make an appointment to talk to the program coordinator or care supervisor before you visit. Here are some tips to help you get ready:
After your visit, ask yourself the following questions: ___ Did they listen to me and make me feel comfortable? ___ Did I get to ask all my questions? ___ Did they give me answers I understood? ___ Are the program staffs respectful and helpful? ___ Does the facility or program meet my needs? ___ Does the facility offer activity programs that I enjoy? ___ Is the facility/setting clean and pleasant? What are the facility/program fees? ___________ Can I afford them? To help in your long-term care decision, read Long Term Care Planning. This article contains important tips that may help you choose the type of long-term care that will meet your needs. Other Related Articles: Types of Senior Care Homes Choosing The Right Senior Care Facility Senior Care Facility Checklist Major Factors That Influence Senior Care Housing Fees Caregiving Payment Options Other La Dolce Living Helpful Links:
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