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, ... read more »
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 members who are helping him. If either you or your loved one are having a hard time with the transition, use these sites to help adjust to the new living arrangements.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The staff at the center you or your loved one is moving into may have tips and advice to help you both with the transition.
- Maintaining as much involvement as possible with your loved one can also help them stay happy and upbeat. If the nursing home or assisted living facility where your relative is staying maintains a Web site, check for any activity/event calendars that will help you know what's going on and schedule a visit to participate along with your loved one whenever possible.
Dulcinea's Picks
If you’re moving into assisted living or a nursing home …
LongTermCareLiving.com
has a long guide to coping with your move. Topics addressed include “What To Bring To Your New Home,” and “Making the Emotional Transition.” There’s also advice and Dos and Don’ts for friends and family members. Another page debunks myths about living in nursing homes, such as “I will not be able to make my own decisions,” and “Husbands and wives must live apart in a nursing facility.”
To learn how friends, family, and nursing home staff can help …
Nursing homes: how to bridge the transition from home
offers suggestions about making nursing home residents more comfortable. Though the author isn’t an expert in elder care, he or she has cared for elderly parents and offers helpful advice gained from personal experience. Learn how to keep your relative feeling involved in family events and find suggestions about making a nursing home or assisted living quarters feel more like home. Another article is provided about how a nursing home resident may change over time.
LongTermCareLiving.com
has a guide that takes relatives through the first 30 days after a loved one has been admitted to long-term care.
Encyclopedia.com
has a Nursing Homes magazine article that explains how nurses and other medical professionals can help the elderly become more comfortable with living in a nursing home. This article is about 10 years old but the advice still seems applicable today.
To access support resources for yourself …
Answers4Families.org
offers "When You are Faced with the Nursing Home Decision," which helps caregivers learn to accept their decision to place a relative into a nursing home, and discusses the emotions caregivers might experience when their responsibilities change. The article particularly emphasizes that care giving changes when someone enters a nursing home, but the responsibility is never completely gone.
Home Care
If, after all your research, you've decided that moving yourself or a relative to a long-term care ... read more »
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