Long-Term Care Facilities for Families

Long-term care (LTC) refers to services that assist in meeting the medical and nonmedical needs of individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses who can no longer care for themselves for extended periods of time. The purpose of LTC is to help people maintain levels of independence without compromising personal safety. There are LTC needs for individuals of all ages, but the majority is of advanced age. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimate that nearly 12 million older adults will require some form of LTC by 2020. By the age of 65, an individual has a 40% chance of entering a nursing home.

This entry focuses on the history of LTC, the different types of LTC, and factors to consider when making LTC decisions. Further, ...