Why are Long-Term Care Services Important? —Continued
Also,
care may be needed to help the disabled with household cleaning, preparing
meals, shopping, paying bills, visiting the doctor, or answering the phone.
Long-term care disabilities can be due to the cumulative effects of aging
as well as cognitive impairment from stroke, depression, dementia, Alzheimer's
disease, Parkinson's disease, etc.
An individual's long-term care needs often require a healthy person (a
spouse, adult child, sibling, or life partner) to provide support for
the disabled person. This support can be offered at home or in an institution.
As a rule, those who are disabled prefer to stay at home and most of the
time so-called informal care givers (family and friends) prefer the home
as well, but the deciding factor of where to receive help ultimately centers
on the nature of the disability. For example, a wife caring for her husband
may be unable to help him bathe, dress, use the toilet, or even move from
the bed to a chair. She will either have to hire someone to come to the
home to help, or she will have to place him in a facility. Another example
might be an Alzheimer's patient who needs constant supervision and scheduled
activities or therapy. Why
Should You Plan For Your Long-Term Care Needs?
Long-term care services will be a major issue for the parents of baby
boomers who are now in their 70's or 80's and who will likely face many
of the issues mentioned herein. Further, baby boomers will need to plan
for their long-term care needs as well since, due to the lack of programs
funded by the federal and state governments, individuals will need to
pay for most of long term care by themselves.
