Long Term Health Care

People who have serious health conditions often need help completing every day tasks and may require ongoing long term health care. Those who require this type of care are typically aging parents, dementia patients, accident victims, patients with cerebral palsy and stroke patients. It is important to learn the benefits of different types of long term health care before seeking help for a loved one. 

Adults who need some help every day but do not require medical supervision around the clock, may attend adult day programs. These types of programs offer daily meals, art activities, games and group exercise for those who attend. Day programs typically do not give medications or transportation to medical facilities. Rehabilitation centers are designed to help people while they need extensive medical care but are well enough to be discharged from the hospital. These facilities offer rehabilitation and are designed to encourage people to become independent enough to live on their own at home after leaving the facility. Many people who need this type of facility stay from 4 to 12 weeks. 

Some long term health care facilities are designed to provide a small amount of help to older people who still want to live on their own. Elderly people who are advancing in age but are still in fairly good health often thrive in rental housing for senior citizens. These long term health care facilities provide rental apartments, meals, housekeeping help and transportation to doctor's visits and grocery stores. Many senior housing programs also have fun activities planned each day, giving their occupants a chance to have fun and socialize. Another type of long term health care aimed to help people with day-to-day care are assisted living facilities. People who live in assisted living remain there and get help with their medications, bathing, dressing, hygiene, housekeeping, transportation and meals. 

Nursing homes are perhaps the most well-known type of long term health care facility. These homes provide patients with full-time medical care from a medical staff of certified nursing assistants, LPN's, RN's and on site physicians. Nursing homes also help patient's and their loved ones cope with care when the end of their life is drawing near. These facilities care for people who cannot live alone and have medical conditions that require more skilled medical care than loved ones can provide. Some of the services offered in nursing homes are respiratory therapy, physical therapy and wound care. Nursing home patients are often on life-support systems such as ventilators. The staff in these long term health care facilities also provides help with daily hygiene. 

Long term health care facilities provide patient's and their families with extra help when they need it most. Before choosing a facility consider factors such as the level of care needed, price and how accessible the location is for friends and family who may wish to visit. Call the Better Business Bureau for information on the long term health care facilities you are considering before making a decision.