Long-Term Care: Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, and Home Health Services on the Web
As one grows older, the prospect of needing nursing home care or another form of living assistance becomes increasingly real. The National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information estimates that more than 60 percent of people over the age of 65 will require long-term care services at some point in their lives. For those who are sick or have disabilities, more specialized living arrangements may be necessary. The Web has many resources for exploring long-term care options.
Expand All Guide SectionsLong-Term Care Options
Care options for the sick or the elderly vary greatly and are largely need-based. For example, assisted living facilities generally serve elderly people who can maintain a reasonable degree of independence, but need help with daily tasks such as keeping track of their medications or preparing meals. On the other hand, nursing homes usually serve those who require continuous medical care. The following Web sites can help you learn about the basic types of care available to you or a loved one.
Dulcinea's Insight
- It’s best to think of long-term care options as a progression that begins with a person remaining at home and living independently. The first stage is home care, in which a nurse comes to help with certain daily tasks, like doing laundry, and may perform routine tests, like checking blood pressure. The next step is assisted living, where a person leaves home and resides in an apartment or cottage on a center’s campus. There, someone will visit daily to help the resident bathe, clean, or make sure any medication has been taken properly. The center may provide meals or allow residents to prepare them in their kitchens. At the other end of the spectrum is a nursing home, in which a resident needs continuous medical care, or what’s also known as “skilled nursing care.”
- A person's ability to perform the activities of daily living is one of the major factors used to determine what type of assisted care a person requires. Those in assisted living can usually perform more of these tasks than a nursing home resident.
- People with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia have different assisted living and skilled nursing needs, and some facilities have separate units designed to care for them. The primary difference is the units are secure to prevent residents with dementia from wandering away, which is a very common behavior. For more information on Alzheimer’s, take a look at our findingDulcinea Alzheimer’s Disease Web Guide.
- Although it’s primarily older adults who reside in nursing homes, there are situations in which a younger person may need skilled nursing care. Even though information on the Web caters to older people, it could apply to younger people, too. Check with an individual facility to be sure.
- If you’re looking for hospice or end-of-life care information see our findingDulcinea Terminal Illness Web Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
To learn about nursing homes …
LongTermCareLiving.com
is a site run by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. This page has a short overview of the basic services that nursing homes provide. Use the “next” link at the end of the article to learn more about finding a facility and what to expect when visiting a nursing home.
MedlinePlus
has a directory where you’ll find an overview of nursing home facilities, nursing home news, and a reference shelf that discusses nursing home law and policy, and more. Nursing home care statistics and a long-term care glossary are also available.
To learn about assisted living facilities …
Medem
is an online medical library that has a succinct definition of assisted living, along with examples of services provided.
The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA)
also teaches consumers about assisted living facilities, elaborating more on the lifestyle of older adults who live there than on how the facilities differ from nursing homes. A video shows the services provided by assisted living facilities. A consumer checklist can help you make an educated decision about whether the facility meets your needs. This site often uses videos to help educate consumers, in addition to the written content.
To learn about Alzheimer's facilities …
The Alzheimer's Association
“CareFinder” helps you make arrangements for someone with Alzheimer's disease by showing you how to take care of financial and legal matters as soon as possible. Support resources and care options are also discussed. Once you've developed a good understanding of what's available, use the interactive “CareFinder” tool to locate and evaluate Alzheimer's care for you or your relative.
If you want to plan ahead …
The National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information
is primarily a source for those who are planning for their future long-term care needs while they aren't "in a crunch." You'll learn the benefits of planning ahead for your care, and what arrangements you should make while you are still able. Predicting how much care a person could require years from now isn't easy, but the National Clearinghouse gives you some estimates to help you anticipate what you might need in terms of assistive services.
The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
teaches you how to "Plan Today for a Better Tomorrow" and take care of yourself in your later years.
Finding and Choosing Long-Term Care
The first step in choosing a long-term care provider is to know what type of care someone requires ... read more »
Paying for Long-Term Care
Costs are a major factor in determining the type of care you obtain for yourself and a loved one. ... read more »
Adjusting to Long-Term Care
Moving into a long-term care facility can be hard on the person leaving his home and the family ... read more »
Home Care
If, after all your research, you've decided that moving yourself or a relative to a long-term care ... read more »
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
