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What is Long-Term Care & the Continuum of Care?

If you ask any three people what long-term care means, you would probably get three different answers. Traditionally, long-term care has meant housing and care within a state and/or federally regulated facility with twenty-four hour oversight.

There were basically two kinds:

• assisted living (adult care homes & family care homes, and formerly domiciliary care homes, rest homes, homes for the aged, personal care homes, & developmentally disabled homes), and
• nursing home care

Assisted living care is not as comprehensive as nursing home care.

Not surprisingly, over time it has become apparent that older adults needing assistance would much rather remain in their own homes and have assistance brought to them if at all possible. Consequently, the term "long-term care" has come to represent a continuum of care.

The continuum of care:

• starts with Independent Living
• continues with Remaining at Home with Assistance
• evolves further to Assisted Living and Nursing Home Care

There are many variations to this generalization but these are the basics.

For more detailed information on any of these areas of the continuum and for related information, visit our caregiver website, Full Circle of Care.

Intertwining lives, Intertwining services

Remaining Healthy and Independent

Independent Housing Options

In-Home Care

Assisted Living

Nursing Home Care

Paying for Care