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| A reality check on long term care |
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LONG-term care is the assistance individuals need when they are unable to care for themselves and need help with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) - bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, continence (control of bodily functions), and eating - or they have severe cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease. The need for long-term care can result from an accident, chronic illness or short-term disability, or from advance age. Long term care can include a broad range of services, provided in any setting outside a hospital. It might be help with simple daily tasks like bathing or dressing. It might include skilled care in your own home, an assisted living facility, some other community resources, or a nursing facility.
Who needs long-term care
19 percent of Americans aged 65 and older experience some degree of chronic physical impairment.
About 55 percent of those age 85 and older are impaired and require Long Term Care.
By 2020, 12 million older Americans will need long-term health care.
Family and friends are the sole caregivers for 70 percent of elderly people and most will be cared for at home.
People age 65 or older face at least a 40 percent lifetime risk of entering a nursing home. 10 percent will stay more than five years.
22 percent of people over age 85 are in a nursing home.
Women, because they outlive men, face a 50 percent greater likelihood of entering a nursing home after age 65.
Source: (AHIP, A Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance", 2004)
Medi-Cal and Medicare
Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) pays for health services for the very poor of any age. Being eligible for Medi-cal does not guarantee placement in a nursing home. There may be long waiting lists for facility care. Medi-Cal patients often receive lesser-quality care than patients who are paying on their own. Under Medi-Cal, nursing home care is essentially the only option. Home care, assisted living facility care, adult daycare, outpatient services, and alternate caregiver services are not usually reimbursed under Medi-Cal.
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