Long Term Care Guide | Request Quotes and Information |
| Long-term care refers to a wide range of health care, social and residential services for people who, because of illness or infirmity, need assistance in their daily activities. This range of services offers people a continuum of care to meet their varying and changing disability levels. Although long-term care traditionally has meant just nursing homes, a growing number of programs are becoming available to help people live as independently as possible in their own homes for as long as possible. Such programs include adult day care, senior centers, respite care, retirement and life care communities, home health and other services. Who Needs Long-Term Care? People age differently, just as they live differently throughout their lives. Typically, the need for long-term dare arises either gradually, as a person needs more and more assistance with the activities of daily living (eating, dressing, bathing, etc.), or suddenly, such as following a stroke or heart attack. Long-term care differs from acute care in that it is usually associated with chronic, long lasting diseases or disabilities. National studies indicate that more than 20% of all people over the age of 65 will use a nursing home at some point in their lives. Your chances of requiring a nursing home are affected by age, health, support from family and friends, and financial resources. Nursing home use increases dramatically with age. One out of every 100 persons in the 65 to 74 age group is in a nursing home on a given day. This number increases to 7 out of 100 in the 74 to 84 age group, and more than 1 out of 5 in the 85+ population. Family and financial resources are important. If you have family or friends who can take care of you, or financial resources to purchase individual care services in the home, you might avoid nursing home placement. The length of time most people stay in a nursing home tends to fall into two distinct categories. One group, the 'short-stayers', generally come from the hospital. Recovering from an acute illness, they get well or die in a fairly short period of time. The other group are those who can no longer live outside an institution. These persons are usually quite elderly and often have mental problems. They are 'long-stayers' and are individuals who stay in a nursing home a long time, perhaps the rest of their lives. | How Much Can Long-Term Care Cost? Long-term care can be expensive, depending on the level of disability and the care needed. On average, one year in a nursing home in Georgia may cost $20,000 or more. Home health care can also be costly if services are provided frequently for a long period of time. In 1988, the average Medicare home health charge per visit was $54.00 in Georgia. Three home care visits per week can easily run over $150.00 or cost more than $1,200.00 for a six-month period. Who Pays for Long-Term Care in a Nursing Home? The cost of nursing home care is paid by individual nursing home residents, Medicaid, nonmedical state programs, Medicare (1.5% only) and private insurance. Medicaid is a government program jointly funded by the state and federal governments for those with low income. It is the largest payment source for nursing home care and accounted for 76% of all nursing home expenditures in our state in 1984. In order to become eligible for Medicaid nursing home services in Georgia, you must have a limited income and limited assets. Some nursing home residents find that they have to spend their assets on their care before they can receive Medicaid assistance. The second largest payment source is individual nursing home residents. In Georgia, 20% of all nursing home dollars came from this group in 1984. Nursing home residents often enter a facility paying for their own care, then, after depleting their own finances, become eligible for Medicaid coverage. On the average, it takes about one year for this 'spend down' to occur. Medicare pays for less than 2% of all nursing home expenditures. Private insurance pays about 1% because few people are currently covered by private insurance. With the increasing number of long-term care insurance policies on the market, this percentage may grow. Other articles and information: What is Long-Term Care Insurance? How Does Long-Term Care Insurance Differ From Health Benefits Available to Medicare Enrollees? How to Compare Long-Term Care Insurance Policies How Do You Decide What to Buy? |
