Long-term care involves medical and nonmedical personal care provided to individuals who have difficulty caring for themselves independently. People of all ages require long-term care for a multitude of different reasons, including chronic and terminal illness, traumatic injury, developmental disabilities, congenital abnormalities, serious mental health conditions, and general declines in physical abilities as a result of normal aging processes. Long-term care can take place in a variety of settings, including one’s own home, group homes, or other types of long-term care communities. The term itself is misleading as long-term care can refer to care provided for either a short or a long period of time. In the United States, health insurance and [Page 1086]government-sponsored financial need-based programs sometimes cover part of the expense of long-term ...