Long-term care helps people who are unable to live independently live safe, healthy lives. In this article, we’ll define the term “long-term care” and explain how it relates to nursing home abuse.

Key Takeaways

• Long-term care is a variety of services that help meet an individual’s personal or healthcare needs
• Risk factors for needing long-term care include lifestyle, gender, age, and more
• Types of long-term care include personal care, community services, and more
• Long-term care may be provided in the home or in facilities such as nursing homes
• Because nursing home residents are at risk of nursing home abuse, they and their loved ones should learn the warning signs 

What Is Long-Term Care?

Long-term care is a general term for a variety of different services designed to meet a person’s personal or healthcare needs. These services help people live independently and safely when they can no longer perform activities of daily living on their own. 

Long-term care is provided in different places by different people depending on the individual’s needs. It is common for unpaid family members and friends to provide long-term care in the home. But long-term care can also be provided in facilities such as nursing homes or adult day care centers by nurses, home health care aides, therapists, and homemakers.

People often need long-term care if they have a disability or serious ongoing health condition. Additionally, the need for long-term care can arise suddenly after a heart attack or stroke or gradually as an individual gets older.

Who Needs Long-Term Care?

Several things increase the risk of needing long-term care, including:

• Lifestyle - Poor diet and exercise habits can increase a person’s risk of needing long-term care
• Gender - Women are at a higher risk than men for needing long-term as they typically live longer
• Health - People with acute or chronic health conditions are more likely to need long-term care 
• Marital status - Single people are more likely than married people to need long-term care from a paid provider
• Family history - Those with a family history are at higher risk of needing long-term care
• Age - The need for long-term care generally increases as people get older

Types and Examples of Long-Term Care

The most common type of long-term care is personal care, or help with activities of daily living such as:

• Bathing
• Grooming
• Using the toilet
• Eating
• Getting out of bed
• Getting into and out of seats

Long-term care also includes community services such as meals, adult day care, and transportation, which may be provided for free or for a fee. 

Other types of long-term care include:

• Companion services
• Homemaker services such as meal preparation and household chores
• Emergency response systems
• Home health care, including physical, occupational, or speech therapy and temporary home health aide services

Long-Term Care ​​and Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing homes are one type of facility that offers long-term care services. Nursing home residents receive round-the-clock care and supervision, as well as assistance with the activities of daily living.

However, it is important to acknowledge that nursing home residents are in a vulnerable position. As people with disabilities or older people dependent on caretakers, it is sadly not uncommon for nursing home residents to be abused by nursing home staff. For this reason, it is very important for nursing home residents and their loved ones to be aware of and vigilant about the warning signs of nursing home abuse.

If you or somebody you care about has been a victim of nursing home abuse, it is recommended that you notify the relevant authorities immediately. You should also know that there is a possibility that you may be eligible for compensation for your pain and suffering. Contact a nursing home abuse attorney to learn more about your options.